


Fallen Gods and Wistful Men

by curiumKingyo



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: (and like to mess with men's lives), Gods are real, M/M, Religious Themes, Sharing a Bed, Slow Burn, alternative universe, based on art, cavemen!AU, fake deity, here is cK with another fic based on jeusus' art, hux is bitter, prehistoric!AU, ren is a dreamer, the delicate politics of cavemen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-08
Updated: 2016-08-05
Packaged: 2018-07-22 07:18:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 24,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7425298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/curiumKingyo/pseuds/curiumKingyo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ren is the future leader of his people and, to prove his worth, he is tasked with killing a fearsome saber-tooth tiger who had been terrorizing the nearby region. Skilled and corageous, the task is a challenge but one he can certainly conquer.</p><p>Finding the god of the sun, who had been turned into a mortal man, is not part of his trial but he firmly believes it to be a sign of something better and bigger coming his way. If only he could convince said god, who insists on being just human, to agree with his plans...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Tyger! Tyger! Burning bright.

**Author's Note:**

> I should be banned from [Jeusus' blog](http://jeusus.tumblr.com), every thing there begs me to write a new fic and I have just as many hours on my day >_>
> 
> Based on this [amazing art](http://jeusus.tumblr.com/post/146957604118/jeusus-did-someone-say-i-shouldnt-draw-my) and very cool [headcanons](http://66.media.tumblr.com/c00a0f1d2592469f68611e99e43d0e18/tumblr_inline_o9tadjo1d51qclbkg_1280.png) about a cavemen!AU. I'm a sucker for unusual AUs and so this was born!

Ren is not a cleric, nor a scholar, but is completely versed on the culture of his tribe. He may be a warrior but it doesn't keep him from recognizing the fallen deity in front of him. The beautiful and powerful god of the setting sun, Sol, lays on the dirt before Ren. His body is long and lean, the skin pale as a misty morning but with sun kissed shoulders and cheeks. The clothes, jewelry and paintings are very different from what Ren is used to, which makes sense since gods don't follow mortal fashion. If those were the only characteristics of the prone man, Ren would think he was but an unfortunated hunter but there is irrefutable proof of Sol's identity: the mesmerizing mane of hair curling around his pale face. 

Bright as fire, roots the dark red color of the sunset and light, pale orange, tips spiraling like a halo. The color, so far from the black and dark brown of Ren's people, is the true mark of the god. On Ren's foster father's cave there are images of Sol and the pigment to paint his hair is hard to make, a delicate mix of wild flowers and small berries that unfortunately turn brown rather quickly. 

Turning into a human must have weakened the god, Ren thinks as he eyes the saber tooth tiger who had attacked the deity. There is a crown of tooth marks on Sol's shoulder and a row of gashes bleeding on his thigh, dirt stains his pale chest and face. A curved hunting knife lays near his limp hand. The weapon seems sharper than Ren's spear but a short range weapon is not a wise choice to fight against such creature. The tiger growls threateningly and its claws dig deeper into the ground as it gets ready to pounce. 

Ren had been tasked to kill this fearsome beast - a proof of his worth as warrior and future chieftain as well as a protective measure to ensure his people's safety. Saving a fallen god is not part of his task but Snoke would be pleased with him for going that extra mile. Being on a god's good side doesn't hurt either, he thinks as he adjusts the grip on the handle of his spear. 

Ren approaches silently and leaps over the tiger just before it launches itself over Sol. Ren's weight and momentum knock the beast down and it looks confused and angry as it tries to get back up. The warrior stands between the animal and the unconscious god, spear in both hands, stance wide and stable as he waits for the next movement. 

The saber tooth tiger has an evil gleam to its eyes as it circles Ren and Sol looking for a breach. Unfortunately for it Ren knows how to fight this kind of beast and feigns an opening through which the tiger tries to attack. Quickly, while the wild creature is still in the air, Ren changes his position and raises his spear high and firm. Unable to dodge mid-air, the tiger falls upon the sharp rock point and its own strength makes it sink deep into its ribcage. 

Ren holds tightly, the tiger bucks and kicks, claws catching and slaughtering Ren's powerful arms and back. Hot, thick drool flies from the angry mouth and slides down the warrior's face and neck. Ren grits his teeth and holds his stance as the tiger slowly sinks more and more into his weapon. Soon blood begins to drip down the wooden handle of Ren's spear and stray droplets fall on his face and mix with the blood on his arms. 

After what feels like an eternity, the tiger starts to sag, its strength leaving with each labored breath until it finally stops moving. The great body collapses over the warrior, covering him in blood and filling him with euphoria and pride. Once cleaned and tanned the matted fur would be a beautiful trophy, and an undeniable proof of his power. Ren is basking on his victory, cradling the dead creature against his chest as if to absorb its might when a small sound catches his attention. 

He quickly deposits the tiger on the ground and turns his attention to the fallen god. Sol groans and shifts lightly, his brow furrowed in pain and blood speckling his lips. Ren kneels by his side, unsure whether he could touch the god or not. Sol is a powerful deity but in his human form he seems... not fragile per se, but his body is too lean and wiry, his features too pretty. Ren's own physique is a lot more impressive. The blood still running down Sol's leg and the deep puncture wounds around his shoulder finally prompt Ren into action. The warrior is not deeply familiar with the region but he had passed by a clean creek and a small clearing on the woods that would provide some shelter. 

Carefully he scoops the unconscious deity into his arms, and is befuddled by his scent, a mix of iron blood and sweet flowers. Sol is good but also wrathful, it does make sense for him to smell like this – sweet but deadly. Ren's arms are shaking, the fight with the tiger taking its toll on the warrior's strength, but he holds firmly, leaning the pale body against his own chest to help balance. The walk to the creek is not long but when they arrive he can't help but collapse on the ground, sweat breaking in bullets down his neck and stinging on the open cuts around his arms and back. He props Sol against a moss covered tree and drinks handfuls of water before going back to fetch the dead tiger. 

Carrying the tiger is a lot more tiresome and difficult than carrying the god turned human. The sheer weight and size of the animal are challenge enough but, unlike Sol, it is hard to get a good grip on the tiger's dead body and so Ren is forced to half carry, half drag it down the forest and into the clearing. 

He throws the still warm carcass in the center of the clearing and collapses beside Sol, his muscles screaming. With closed eyes he tries to relax a bit, calm his frantic heartbeat and bring his senses back to their natural sharpness. It takes a moment but when he opens his eyes again he feels restored – muscles still aching but not enough to be a burden. He stands slowly and starts to access their situation: they have water and meat but no fire, and he has no idea how the weather would turn during the night on that part of the forest. He also has his own wounds and Sol's very serious injuries to worry about. 

Looking up at the sky he knows night will come soon and remembers the first rule of his tribe: the night you don't have a fire is the night you die. He goes around the clearing collecting firewood and dry leaves, which is more complicated than he is used to because of the constant stream of water from the creek. He does gather a good pile of dry logs and sticks and quickly works his flint to produce a small but strong flame. As he cleans himself on the creek he keeps an eye for the fire and another for the sleeping god. Sol looks a lot calmer now, the bleeding has stopped by itself, and it looks like the deity is just asleep and not knocked out anymore. 

Inside his leather pouch he has a small collection of herbs and roots, selected by their miraculous healing capabilities. He also carries a polished gourd with which he gathers water to clean the dry blood off Sol's shoulder and thigh. There is still enough light for him to study the injuries - the cuts on the leg are deep but very clean and sharp, they would heal with relative ease if kept clean and dry. The bite on the shoulder, on the other hand, is ragged and oozing a thick, pale liquid that reeks strongly of infection. He prepares a cleansing concoction with boiled water and the sap from one of the roots on his pouch. 

He cleans the claw wounds on Sol's leg with the potion and the god hisses sharply as the hot and astringent liquid washes over his open flesh. Ren leans over the deity, the bowl of medicine in one hand and a look of worry on his face. He has to act quickly or Sol's human body could be damaged beyond repair. He doesn't know what the god is doing among mortals but it certainly is important. Ren believes this might be part of his trial - the gods have given him a sacred mission and he must prove his worth to them in order to ascend as tribe leader. 

Carefully he begins to pour the cleansing medicine on Sol's wounded shoulder. The ripe smell of the concoction clashes with the foul odor coming from the bitten flesh. Sol stirs a little but Ren gives it no mind, focused on treating the wound as he is. 

Pain suddenly blooms into Ren's body as a hand blindly catches and tightly squeezes his own injury. The unexpected assault causes him to drop the gourd and spill the healing potion way before he had finished cleaning Sol's shoulder. His reaction is instinctive. He reaches for the offending hand and crushes the slim wrist until a broken moan of pain rings in the air. The pressure on his arm gone as quickly as it had come. 

Pale green eyes, shiny with tears and fever, look at him from under furrowed brows. The hand doesn't press his arm anymore but is still limply clinging to him, the skin hot and sweaty. 

"What are you doing?" Sol asks, his accent is strong and very different from Ren's but not enough to render his speech incomprehensible. His voice is liquid, pain and confusion dripping down his lips with each word. 

"Helping," replies Ren. Slowly he reaches for Sol's hand and pries it away from his arm. "You were attacked." 

The god regards him with a deeply confused expression before closing his eyes in defeat. His hand slowly slides down Ren's arm and falls limp and useless by his side, the movement causing some more of that fetid liquid to ooze from the wound on his shoulder. He hisses and murmurs something Ren doesn't understand. They stay silent for a long while. 

"May I continue?" Ren asks at last, unsure of what to do now that the god is awake. Sol opens his eyes blearily but says nothing. "May I continue treating your wound?" 

"Yes?" Sol sounds tired and confused. Snoke once told Ren a story about the time the god had been banished to the mortal realm to atone for a crime against the other deities; maybe that was the case now. Sol is utterly human, wounded and tired, skin clammy with feverish sweat and blood as red as Ren's. He barely looks like a god. 

"You must've done something terrible to deserve this punishment," Ren says as he turns around to pick the gourd and fill it with water from the creek. 

"Speak slowly, please," Sol asks, "I can barely understand you." 

Ren huffs a laugh as he brings the full gourd over the fire to heat the water. Sol's accent isn't easy on him either but he doesn't feel like teasing the god about it. "I said you received a severe punishment," he says, slowly and well articulated. "Your crime must have been serious." 

"Crime?" Sol repeats, watching with glittering eyes as Ren started to ground a piece of dry root and add it to the water. "What do you mean?" 

"To be sent here as a man, Sol." 

"Sol?" 

Ren sighs. Maybe the transformation was more traumatic than he had imagined. Well, legend says Sol is mighty like few gods, capable of burning entire forests to a crisp and able to spread over the entire sky during the middle of the day – suddenly seeing himself as a mere human is certainly a lot more shocking than anything Ren could experience in his life. More shocking than finding a fallen god, that's for sure. The smell of the concoction rises through the air and he shifts closer to Sol, who watches him as intently as his tired eyes allow him to. 

"You were attacked by a saber-tooth tiger," Ren begins explaining, "it must have found you when you fell. I was tracking it and managed to kill it and save you." 

"I... I remember the tiger but why did I fal-" his words die in a hiss of pain as Ren pours some of the warm potion on his wound. The warrior doesn't reply right away, focused on rubbing the pale edges of the punctures with the healing balm. Other than the god's whimpers, the slow trickle of the creek and the crackling of fire are the only sounds on the slowly darkening night. There isn't wind and no animals seem to be close. 

"You fell from the heavens, mighty Sol," Ren finally says. 

"Did the tiger hit your head?" Ren is taken aback by the rude question. "And why do you keep calling me Sol?" 

"The tiger didn't hit me, but maybe your head has been trampled upon," the warrior replies bitterly. "Don't worry, I won't tell the others on the village that I've found you, Sol. If you didn't want to have your identity known you shouldn't have come with this bright hair." 

"My hair? What does it... no, you know what, I don't care," he slumps against the tree, a tired sigh leaving pale lips. "Just stop calling me Sol, please." 

"As you please, my god," Sol flinches at the word. "What may I call you?" 

"Hux. My name is Hux," the flaming god says and Ren nods slowly, mouthing the name in silence as he works the potion over the wounds. When he finishes Sol – rather, Hux, is asleep again. His expression is almost peaceful, the corners of his lips down turned into the smallest frown, and his skin looks ashen on the warm fire light. Maybe the infection had gotten deeper into the wound than Ren had thought. If his analysis is correct and Hux is actually a completely human form of Sol, it would take a few days to properly get rid of the infection and begin the process of closing and scarring. He watches the sleeping man for a while, making sure he would be well while he worked on skinning the tiger and, hopefully, gathering some of its meat for dinner. 

The night is the moment Ren's tribe is the most active, and so he finds it difficult to sleep despite being bone tired. Hux doesn't wake up to eat and Ren knows that resting is essential to the healing process so he lets him be. The warrior eats a chunk of the tiger's flank and nibbles on some leaves and barks from his pouch before settling down for the night. There is no wind but the night is chilly and Hux looks smaller than before, all curled up on himself to try and save warmth. The tiger's skin can't be used yet, still full of bits of sinew and fat as it is, and both Hux and Ren have only thin loin cloths and short cloaks around their backs. 

Ren allows himself to look at Hux as the other sleeps. His frame may not be the most powerful but his face is regal and stern, even in this situation. The fire light glows over his high cheekbones and mingles with the orange of his eyebrows and hair, cast long shadows against his pale lashes. He looks stunning, everything Ren could expect from a god. Hux shivers in his sleep and the warrior can't help but move closer and wrap both their cloaks and his arms around the sun deity. _Living in the sun must have made him weak to the cold of earth_ , he ponders. 

The fire is strong and would last until morning so Ren slowly settles against the tree, cradling Hux against his body, feeling the god sliding into a perfect position against him. He looks down at Hux's face and thinks back about stories of mortal men who had fallen in love with gods. Things never end well for them, Snoke told him time and time again, but they tend to have a lot of adventures and fun before going down with a bang. He doesn't fancy himself as the kind of men who fall in love but he finds himself wishing for adventures away from his tribe, under the sun, with the bright presence of Hux by his side. 

Maybe he could convince Snoke and the other elders that this would be good for him. Make him a better leader, more experienced, with a broader vision of life and the world around them. And who would be a better guide and companion than the god of sun, who walks across the lands everyday carrying light and warmth from dawn to dusk? As his eyes start to get heavy with tiredness he decides to ask Sol's – Hux's guidance once he is healed and back in shape. With the god's own approval of his plans certainly Snoke wouldn't be against it, would he? It would be for the good of the tribe and Snoke was still strong enough to allow Ren a little adventure of his own before he steps up as the leader. 

As he falls asleep he wishes to control time, to make it move faster until the day of his adventure arrives. And then he wishes to make it go slow so he can savor every moment under the sun. 


	2. Parable of the Prodigal Son

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hux is grateful for being saved but he wants to go home. Little does he know something far worse than a tiger waits him there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: This chapter has descriptions of violence and side character death, as well as accidental drug use by the end. In other words, things get a little dark here so be aware and please enjoy the reading. Porn will happen on the next chapter!

Hux doesn't like the tribe that lives down at the south of the great mountain. Thankfully his people rarely interact with them, dealing with the closer tribes most of the time. He knows little of these men, as his father shares this dislike and never speaks too much of them. All he knows for sure is that they are unrefined and speak in a very old form of Hux's tribe dialect. They are also credulous and savage, chalking everything around them to mysterious powers, gods, and the infamous Force. 

It never occurred to him that one day he would know a lot more about them. He never thought they could possess such a deep knowledge of herbs and healing skills, or that their accent was pleasant once you get used to it, or that their cooking was rather decent. Or that they worship a redheaded god named Sol - and that, at least, one of them was completely sure that Hux was the god himself. 

Ren, future Kylo Ren, has saved him from the saber-tooth tiger and the nasty infection that tried to eat his shoulder away. Hux doesn't remember the first two or three days spent on Ren's company, his memory burned by fever and the strong effect of healing herbs. Some glimpses of those days remain in his mind: Ren chanting as he applied balm to Hux's wounds and his gentle hands feeding him and carefully bathing him on the cold creek. A strange sort of intimacy existed when Hux's consciousness finally came back completely. 

Despite being conscious and recovering from his wounds, Hux is still too weak to travel on his own at that point. He helps Ren prepare the herbs for his shoulder and keeps guard during the day when the dark haired man feels sleepy and tends to doze off. Together they set traps around the clearing and prepare the small prey they catch, and afterwards they stay in silence, sharpening weapons or tending the tiger hide. They don't speak too much but it is comfortable. 

When they do speak things tend to get ugly, though. Hux is sick of hearing Ren's stories about the god Sol, who he still believes is Hux's true identity. Some of the stories are good but they get boring after the fifth time but mostly he is getting fed up with the idea of being mistaken by the deity. He's told the story of how he ended up being caught by the tiger a thousand times but Ren insists that his memory is blurry because of the shock. No amount of reasoning seem to convince Ren of the truth. 

After many days he feels confident and strong enough to move by himself. He stands against the tree and takes a few steps around. His leg is still a little weak because of the days spent sitting and laying, but the claw wounds are reduced to dark pink scars. The shoulder still aches dully but the infection is gone and it has started to close. Ren seems proud of his healing skills when he sees Hux back on his feet and the redheaded man thanks the other profusely. 

At this point Hux is desperate to go back home and is confident on his capacity of doing the short journey without problems. Ren blinks in genuine confusion when Hux tells him about his plan of going back the next day. 

"I thought you'd go home with me," he says quietly, turning a piece of vine between his fingers. "The people will be happy to have you among them." 

"I want to go to my home, Ren," he replies tiredly. "And the people who will be happy to have me again is my people. My family and my friends," Ren looks disheartened. "Your people will surely be happy to have you back," he adds in an attempt to ease Ren's mood. 

"But you must come with me," Ren insists. "You need to fulfill some ritual or task to be given your godhood back. I'm sure Snoke and the elders will read the oracles and prophecies and help you understand your trial." 

Hux weaves a long suffering sigh. "Ren, I've told you many times but I can say it again: I am not your god Sol! I live on the north and that's where I'm going as soon as the sun rises." 

"You won't find your home north," Ren says. "You are part of my task and I am part of yours. You should come with me." 

"I will be grateful forever, Ren, but I must go back and I can't allow you to keep me here anymore." 

Silence settles over them, the gurgles of the creek too loud all of a sudden. Hux sits back and rummages through his own leather pouch, checking on his supplies for the travel. Ren keeps his eyes on the hide drying on a long branch. He isn't sure it can be properly tanned anymore which is a shame. He plans on taking it home anyway, maybe some part can still be saved. 

One of the traps snaps up near them, a squirrel kicking and bucking with its tiny legs held by woven vines. Their eyes meet when they look at the small animal. Hux stands up slowly and breaks the squirrel's neck with a sharp twist of his hand before untying it. He sits back, a little closer to Ren now and starts to open and gut their prey. 

"I just want to help you," he hears Ren murmuring while the impales the squirrel on a sharp stick. His heart clenches a little. This man has saved him, he literally worships the ground Hux walks upon, and all he asks is for Hux to visit his tribe, talk to his elders and say a few words for his people. Hux feels incredibly ungrateful for denying him his humble request but he can't bring himself to accept it either. He wants to go home, finish his mural and hunt with Phasma. He misses even his brother and father. 

They catch two other squirrels and eat in silence that night. The meal and the darkness make Hux sleepy and he has grown to trust Ren so much that he easily falls asleep after dinner. He knows the other man favors the night and is more than happy to guard his sleep. Small pangs of guilt stab him as he dreams of his cave and the river nearby, the berries and mushrooms he liked so much, all less than a day of travel away. He would sleep on his own furs next night, for sure! 

Morning comes full of a bright and thick fog. It is cold and humid but Hux knows by the middle of the morning it would lift and the sun would shine on the pure blue sky. He feels bad leaving like that, hidden by fog and without wishing Ren well, but he knows there is no other way. Ren is sleeping against a tree, his long feet close to the dying embers of the fire, a thin cloak over his shoulder. Hux looks at him for a long while and barely resists the urge to kiss his slightly parted lips before leaving. 

It's not like he feels any particular tenderness for Ren but he would like this memento. This stolen thing to remember Ren by, something only he would know existed. However he feels guilty enough as it is and assaulting Ren on his sleep won't bring him any peace of mind. It doesn't matter how beautiful his mouth is, Hux knows he would regret doing this more than he would not doing so. With a sharp inhale he leaves. 

Just like he predicted the fog lifts by mid morning and a beautiful blue sky is revealed. The path is clear in front of him and his leg isn't hurting in the slightest. He quickly reaches and passes the point where the tiger had attacked him days before. There are marks of claws on the ground and dried blood soaking the earth. Hux isn't sure who the blood belongs to and doesn't dwell on the place long enough to figure it out. 

A few hours go by when he sees the familiar path he had taken out of the lands of his tribe. There is still a good distance to go but he feels happier already. The little purple flowers littering the path are familiar and he picks one and nibbles on the stem, satisfied with the bitter taste. He stops by the edge of a little wood and opens his pouch, looking for something to eat. 

Inside he finds some of the berries and roots he and Ren had gathered on the clearing and he takes a handful of fruit with an oddly nostalgic sigh. They are ripe and sweet, and flood his mouth with juice as he chews on them. The taste is lovely. Near his tribe there is a poisonous, hallucinogen, fruit very similar to this one but Ren had taught him how to identify them safely. Maybe he could try cultivating some of them near his place... 

He reaches inside the pouch once again looking for more fruit but his finger brush something long and smooth he doesn't remember putting there. A long, yellow stained and sharp fang rests on his bag. He easily recognizes the tooth of the tiger as he still carries the puncture marks on his shoulder. This is one of the longest teeth, a pointy canine, and he remembers that they had accidentally broken the other one while trying to extract it from the dead beast. 

He hadn't put the fang there himself, he wouldn't rob Ren of his trophy. Apparently the other man was willing to make one more sacrifice for him. 

Suddenly he realizes that, if Ren had put it there for him, it meant the other man had accepted his leaving after all. He feels silly for running away like he did, he should've trusted Ren to acquiesce to his will in the end. They could have prepared for their separate journeys together and said their proper goodbyes. Maybe he could've asked for that kiss after all. He feels the smooth surface with reverent fingers, thinking of what he could make with it: a necklace would be good but he didn't kill the tiger himself so it could be misleading. Perhaps something to put on his cave or hair. He would ask Phasma once he arrives home. 

He finishes eating the berries and goes back to the way. Following the familiar trail leaves him with enough time to think and he wonders what questions his people would make. Every once in a while he would leave for one or two nights, when looking for paint ingredients or specific prey, but never before had he been gone for so long. Have they considered him dead by now? Would they believe his tale of a gentle southerner who saved and healed him? He certainly wouldn't believe it if someone else told the story, but he is well regarded among his peers so they would surely believe him. And he had the fang to prove. 

The sky is tinted orange and pink on the edges, clouds drifting low on the horizon in purple and red hues that he would love to be able to reproduce. He is close to home, his steps gaining a bouncy quality despite the tiredness and hunger. He can barely wait to arrive and feast with Phasma and the other hunters. He sees, in his minds eye, her expression when he tells her of a man almost as tall as her and possibly stronger. She would be outraged for sure! 

He takes the last curve on the path and for a moment he wonders if he had taken the wrong way. 

Where his tribe is supposed to be, peacefully ending their daily activities and preparing for the night, only rivers of drying blood and fire exist. His eyes go wide and unfocused as he tries, and fails, to understand the scene in front of him. The red sky suddenly seems ominous and foreboding as if hiding the rising flames still licking their crops clean. 

On suddenly weak legs he comes closer, each step taking long and dreadful seconds. There are marks of fighting all around, polished spearheads of stone and broken stone maces lay around the ground. Blood and guts shine on the dying sun light, white bones protrude from torn limbs hanging on the trees as sinister offerings. Hux heaves and gasps, the stench of death heavy in the air. 

He is in such a deep state of shock that it takes him a long time to hear the weak voice calling for him. 

Under a pile of mutilated corpses lay Phasma, her face ashen and sick, pale blond hair caked with dry blood and earth. Her face is distorted, her lips swollen and some teeth missing. She can't open her left eye, a bag of blood fat under the eyelid. He can't see much of her body but one of her arms look irreparably broken and she is breathing in painful little gasps. 

"Where... you?" Her voice is a sad parody of what it used to be. He kneels by her side and takes her limp hand between his. 

"I went to the mountain but was attacked by a tiger but why does it matter?" He sounds hysteric. "What happened here? Where is my father?" 

"East folk," she answers slowly, blood bubbles and drips down her chin with each word. "Came two days ago... Didn't like the deal... Did this to attack your father..." 

Her breathing goes even more ragged and he hushes her gently. He is dying to know the details but is well aware that the effort of talking could prove too much for her. As it is he can only try and imagine the whole situation. Before he realizes he is gently combing her hair, pulling it away from her tear and blood streaked face. He knows the East folk could be belligerent and cruel but they had dealt in peace for so long it is hard to imagine what his father had done to warrant such reaction. 

Somewhere deep inside he knows that if there is someone capable of eliciting this level of outrage, it is his father. A tiny part of him believes this is somehow deserved, but a bigger part knows he is just being bitter. 

"I should have been here," he tells her in a guilt ridden voice. She shakes her head, eye rolling back with the movement. 

"Wouldn't make any difference," she says matter-of-factly. "Too many, too fast... too cruel..." 

Her pale eye goes dull and lifeless, the soft rasp of her breath wavering into nothing as her eyelid trembles and closes. He holds her for a long while, tears making it impossible to see. His crying is silent, strangled sobs clotting his throat but not leaving his lips. Tears run down his face and drip onto her beaten form, the dying sun reflecting on the wet tracks. He tastes salt and regret. 

He stays like there for a small eternity, cold dread taking over as the reality of the situation settles in. His home is gone. His family is gone. His friends are gone. Fate had him away for a few days and everything he knows breaks down and crumbles under his feet just as he finally makes it back home. How joyless are the games played by the gods, he thinks. 

The gods... 

Suddenly he hears a small noise. Soft footfalls. At first it sounds like one man but soon he counts at least four. Hushed voices cross the ravaged scenario and Hux clearly identify the thick eastern accent. He then realizes Phasma had never said they were gone. His heart beats fast and out of rhythm, the natural fight or flight instinct filling him with adrenaline and dread. He presses his face against Phasma's and murmurs one last apology before turning around and fleeing.  

The path, so familiar but a few moments ago, seems completely strange now, every turn and shadowed place brimming with danger and threats. Hux's feet move as fast as they can, hopping from one patch of grass to the other, trying to muffle the frantic sound of his steps. He doesn't look back, every whisper of wind promising a flying spear or arrow ready to kill him like they had done to all his people. When the grassy trail gives way to hard stone and dirty ground he doesn't stop nor slows down, barely avoiding the loose rocks on his mad chase. 

He doesn't know when, or how, or even why he stopped running, but he does stop. His feet feel as if they had been skinned, cuts and blisters littering the soles and toes; his legs ache, acid running through his veins and cramping every muscle as he stumbles and falls to the ground. Breathing is almost as difficult as walking, his lungs full of gravel, throat dry and raw with unshed tears. He chances a look behind and barely discerns the hill after which his clan once dwelled. The sky is now a heavy and dark blue, a thin moon that doesn't offer much light adorns it, surrounded by pale and indifferent stars. 

No one is coming after him, he realizes once his heartbeat calms enough to allow some oxygen to go to his brain. The East folk probably didn't even know he had been to the village and even if they knew he didn't pose any threat to them. Pursuing and killing him would be a waste of time and despite their brutality Hux knows they are very practical and pragmatic. The knowledge that his life is most likely out of danger does little to comfort him, though. 

He has fallen down a small hill covered in fern and those small purple flowers that had filled him with satisfaction in the afternoon. His eyes aren't used to this level of darkness so he can barely see his surroundings, trusting his other senses to figure out his position. The ground is soft, unused, so he is out of the trail which brings him some sense of safety nonetheless. There are crickets and cicadas singing so the place must be hospitable. He doesn't hear any water running and remembers with a painful pang on his throat of the creek Ren had found them. Thinking about Ren is odd, and he doesn't have energy to waste at the moment so he shoves the other man out of his mind. 

Hux is determined to stay awake as much as possible, to fully analyze his situation and trace a plan of action. Running away blindly had been a desperate move and thus not a very wise one. He should have gone West, where he could certainly find the help of his father's allies. Yet, the East folk had been ally for a long while and two days ago it all went to waste, there is no way of telling what their western connections would do. Once again he thinks of Ren. Not Ren specifically but his tribe. The South folk lived too far and rarely ever interacted with Hux's tribe of their usual allies. Maybe that was the safest place to go after all. 

His hand drift down his scratched arms and chest until it finds his pouch. He can't see what he is picking there but Ren had given him only edible fruit and roots so whatever it is it would do. The root he picks is spicy and fresh and despite his miserable state it gives him a little bit of energy. The sandpaper feel on his throat eases as he chews on the root and once finished with his poor meal he finds himself nursing the tiger fang as a form of comfort. The surface is perfectly smooth and after a little while it feels warm under his touch. He falls asleep curled on the fern, stomach growling loudly on the night to accompany the symphony of cicadas and crickets in heat. 

Morning finds him tired and weak, the wound on his leg throbbing like it hadn't for days. Thankfully his shoulder doesn't hurt. Slowly he stands up and looks around, the early sun coloring everything in pale hues. For a delirious moment it feels like nothing had happened, but a sharp pang of hunger combined with the salty trails of tears down his face are enough proof of the last night happenings. He spares a moment to think of Phasma, Mitaka and everyone else – even his own family who he had never harbored any tender feelings for. 

He doesn't waste much time, though, climbing the hill and going back to the trail as fast as he can. The path leads back to the creek he and Ren had set camp in what feels like a lifetime ago. He is thirsty and hungry but the clearing is still too far to be useful to him. He must find water soon, or at least some nourishment, before his daring escape from death results in an even more pathetic demise. After a moment walking carefully down the narrow road he sees a bunch of rabbits crossing the path in line. The local wildlife is always the best guide to a region and so Hux follows them silently. 

The rabbits lead him to what is probably the spring that feed the creek Ren carried him to. There are vines and thorns littering the ground but he doesn't care about them, his feet already covered in blisters and scabs from yesterday's escape. He kneels by the bubbling water and sinks his full head in it, the coldness a blessing on his abused skin. He drinks and drinks until his belly feels bloated and uncomfortable. His hair drips and clings to his shoulder and face and he licks the stray droplets with religious fervor. 

He washes his feet as last, the rough skin thorn in several places but no infection seem to have taken place. As a precaution he rubs some of the herbs Ren had given him on the deepest cuts and eats the last piece of that energizing root. The rabbits are still nearby, some looking at him with curiosity on their tiny black eyes. His stomach makes a rumbling noise but he doesn't feel compelled to catch any of the small animals. They have saved him, he feels gratitude and he had been ungrateful to the last person who had saved him – he doesn't feel like making the same mistake once again. 

As if conscious of his choice of letting them free, the rabbits start to nibble on some small flower buds, showing him they are edible. He picks one and chews, the bitter flavor tasting sweet as honey on his tongue. He catches handfuls of the buds and eventually finds some of the berries Ren had shown him too. He fills his pouch and drinks more of the water before going back to the path. 

The desperation of the previous day had vanished but his pace is far from leisure anyway. He walks in long strides, feeling small doses of joy when he spots familiar places – a sure sign that he is following the right direction. At this pace he would reach the creek by night fall. He tries to remember how far Ren's clan resides but finds out he can't. His father had told him about a days long journey, and Ren said he had been tracking the tiger for three days. He also isn't sure of the place's location, only that it is way further in the south than he had ever been in his life. 

Before despair settles in hhe decides to take this trip one step at the time. First, reach the creek. Then he would think of what to do. 

He is close to the creek, the sound of the water already reaching his ears, when he grabs a handful of fruit from his pouch and pops them into his mouth. The juice floods his senses and it tastes a little different from what he remembers but he doesn't give it much thought. The purple liquid dribbles down his chin and drips into his chest in colorful lines that seem to shift color with each step. 

Another handful of fruit goes into his mouth and a part of him tells him he had made a mistake. Other part scorns at that first one – the one who constantly sounds like his father – and remembers that the rabbits had eaten the fruit too. _Except they didn't_ ; that voice tells him, and he stops dead on his tracks. _They ate the buds but not the fruit_... 

Hux looks up to the sky. It should be pink and orange with the setting sun painting it with his colors, but instead it is green. What a weird sight, he thinks before following the lines of yellows points dancing on the horizon. Each strand of grass sings under his feet and even his own feet seem to join the chorus. The wind tells jokes and the stars laugh, the moon comes down and greets him with kisses and promises of taking him to the place where he belonged. 

He merrily follows these odd companions, singing their songs and laughing with them under that exquisite green sky. As he moves he shed the useless parts of his body, his mind is the first to leave, followed by his clothes and a few of his nails. At some point he empties his stomach and loses a tooth in the process, strangely enough, he keeps a long toothe that doesn't belong to him. He is light as a feather when that odd night ends, the sky slowly turning from green to deep, pure black. 

\--- 

"I told you he was real," a rushed voice says. "He has been punished once again!" 

"The punishment of the gods is none of your business, Ren," a second person replies. It sounds awfully authoritative and demanding – a lot like Hux's father, he thinks deliriously. 

"I found him once and now he finds me! What are the odds?" 

"I don't care, Ren," the reply is stern and dry. "If it will bring you peace of mind, take care of him while he recovers but his trials are his own and you are forbidden to accompany him." 

A long moment of silence, so full of tension Hux feels it even with his eyes closed and mind numb. At last a sigh. "Yes, father." 

 


	3. Prayers to Fallen Gods

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everytime I open a document for a new chapter of this fic I get carried away and things evolve and get deep and out of control. I have officially given up on trying to dictate how long this will be so, for the time I will remove the final number of chapters and keep working on it as I currently am.
> 
> Also, amazing and perfect Jeusus drew [Sol](http://jeusus.tumblr.com/post/147611173493/jeusus-sol-inspired-by-mine-and#notes)! Holy moly I'm in love! This image is one of the reasons I have decided to give this fic more of my time, energy and attention.
> 
> I'd like to thank you all for the lovely feedback! All comments mean a lot for me!

Ren, future Kylo of his clan, is held in high regard by his people - if not for his social skills then certainly for his prowess as warrior and ability as hunter. When Snoke, current Kylo, tasked him of tracking and killing a gigantic saber-tooth tiger who had approached their lands, all the tribe was confident on Ren's success. 

As Ren prepared his pouch and weapons for the quest, many people began placing bets on how many days he would need to complete his trial. Most of the bids were around five and seven nights, with the shortest time being three days, and the longest, eleven. Ren took Snoke's blessing before leaving, a group of warrior following him until the border of their lands and watching as he imperiously marched down the path until he was but a point in the night. 

For the next five days people don't fret about Ren's whereabouts. When day five passes by a small murmur of worry sounds but is quickly dismissed as them being too optimistic about their future leader's abilities. Day six and seven pass by raising the volume of the murmurs. When day eleven comes and goes and the last bet is rendered useless and people throw away any pretense at not being worried about Ren. 

Theories begin to be formed. Maybe he had been killed after all. Perhaps the tiger had maimed him and he is valiantly limping and crawling his way back. What if the tiger was a demon and had dragged Ren to the pit? Is it possible that he was found by a rival tribe and is now captive? 

The ideas and theories come in various levels of sensible and absurd but they all show the people's worry about their future leader. 

Ren comes back fourteen nights after his departure, just as people started considering new candidates to the title of Kylo. He arrives by early morning, the rising sun coloring his contours and making the tiger hide over his shoulders shine copper and mahogany brown. There are cheers and chants but he doesn't seem as excited as people expected him to in this situation. He nods and bows respectfully but goes straight to Kylo Snoke's cave. 

"People were losing faith in you, Ren," Snoke says as he approaches. "I'm glad you arrived before they forced me to name a new heir." 

"If it had come to be I'd duel with him and get my rights back," Ren replies, kneeling in front of the elder. Snoke doesn't seem particularly impressed. 

"I see you have the hide but it is old, how many days ago did you kill it?" 

Ren flinches, he had expected Snoke to notice but not so fast. "Eleven nights ago, father." 

"Eleven... Where did you kill it?" The soft click of Ren swallowing echoes on the fire lit cave. 

"On a dusty plane, near a hidden creek three days north of here." 

Snoke turns opaque but sharp eyes at Ren and studies him for a long while. Ren knows what he is seeing: the mostly healed cuts on his arms, the tired but healthy look on his face, the full pouch slung around his back. It is easy to see he hadn't been through many hardships during his time away from the tribe. Snoke sneers. 

"Did you get lost on your way back, son?" The condescending tone of the question boils Ren's blood and forces him to grit his teeth before answering. 

"I was kept at the creek for a very good reason-" 

"Better than coming back to your people and completing the task given to you?!" Snoke demands, thunderous. 

"Yes." Ren replies quietly. Silence falls over them, the crackling sound of the fire deafening. 

"What kept you away from your duty?" 

"My duty is to protect and serve my people, to guide them through thick and thin and make sure they thrive," Ren recites tightly, "and I have liberty to act whatever way I seem fit to achieve this goal. What kept me away, father, was Sol." 

"Sol?" Snoke echoes, eyebrow raised in suspicion. 

"He was banished from the heavens and sent here as a man," Ren tells, "he was weakened by his punishment and the tiger attacked him. I saved him, father." 

Snoke has an unreadable expression on his scarred face. Slowly he turns his eyes up to the mural on his wall, the image of their gods reigning over their people: Lua, the goddess of the moon who guides the hunters, Chuva bringing the rain, Fogo who gifted them with fire. And above them Sol, the god of the sun, the one who brings the changes of seasons and keeps track of time. The one who once in a while walks the earth as a man to seek pleasure and adventure, or to atone for his crimes. 

From all the gods, it had to be Sol to cross Ren's way... 

"And what did you do?" 

"I saved him," Ren repeats. "Killed the beast before it could kill him, and treated the wounds on his mortal body. It took me two days to stave off the fever and six days to nurse him back to good health." 

"And where is he now?" Snoke asks, trying to look past Ren but failing due to the warrior's bulk. Ren lowers his gaze. 

"He fled," he says bitterly. "I asked him to come back with me but he kept telling me he wanted to go to his people. The morning he was able to walk he just went away." 

"Maybe it was for the best," Snoke reasons, tone much calmer. "He is rarely good news and having you fate bounded to him would be a bad omen." 

Silence settles over them, broken by Ren's soft whispered _I'd have liked to say goodbye_. Snoke touches his shoulder lightly and his voice softens for a moment. 

"Didn't he say goodbye?" 

"No, he just left the morning he was able to walk by himself." 

"That is Sol's nature, son," Snoke says with a hint of sadness. "He is the Sun after all. He doesn't say goodbye, when it is time he just leaves." 

Ren had never seen Snoke look so sentimental, his voice and words seem full of a weight the young warrior can't fully understand and he knows better than to ask about it. As quickly as it comes, this sad heaviness goes and Snoke is once again all business like. He takes a step back and looks at Ren as if measuring him. 

"But you did what you were expected to do, and this pleases me a lot. Everybody had faith in you and you didn't let your people down," despite the uplifting words his speech seems hollow after the emotion charged words from a moment before. "Where is the token of your victory, son?" 

Ren shrugs the hide over his shoulders but remains silent. A moment passes by before Snoke hisses at him - _where is the fang_? 

"I gave it to Sol," Ren replies in a low voice, unconsciously wrapping the hide closer to his body as if seeking protection. Snoke growls in disapproval and tightens his fists causing his bracelets and rings to clink together. 

"Why did you do it, silly boy?" Snoke demands, any trace of that solemn sadness gone. "Did you think he would like something to remember you by? This is foolishness! You have lost you token for naught!" 

"I have the hide!" Ren springs to his feet, towering over the older man in his anger. "And I have my word!" 

"Your word?" Snoke doesn't seem fazed by Ren's outburst. "Do you think the people trust you so blindly that your word will convince them? This hide is half lost because you didn't tan it correctly, it will look like a cub when it is done. It won't help you prove anything!" 

Ren grits his teeth and curls his hands in shaky fists. He knows the younger among their clan would follow him and believe him, but the elders are on Snoke's hands and they still hold most of the decisive power. If he wants to be rightfully chosen to be the next Kylo he must do what Snoke asks him to. Usually he accepts his foster father's orders docilely but he is still frustrated about Sol leaving him like he was worth nothing and having Snoke treat him in a similar way is painful right now. 

"I was blind by his presence, father," he says, voice barely contained and body tense like a bow string. "What can I do to make amends with you and the council?" 

"I will deliberate with them, son," Snoke seems pleased with Ren's new posture, his voice calm once again. "They will know you did complete your task, and the reasons why you don't have the token with you. Certainly the oracles will reveal a new trial for you. For the time being, go rest and be ready to go with Poe's party hunting tonight." 

Ren acquiesces with a short nod and bows respectfully before leaving the cave. He is not particularly satisfied with the outcome of this talk but he knows it could have gone a lot worse. Snoke is rightfully angry with him and he accepts it despite how much it hurts him. He truly wishes to be a good Kylo and Snoke had lead their people for years in peace and abundance. Ren genuinely wants to follow his steps. 

He does as he is told, going to the fire pit in the center of the village and taking a bowl of the broth to eat before going back to the rocky chamber he occupies. He has some difficulty falling asleep, his emotional turmoil adding to the emptiness he had been feeling since Sol's departure. The sunlight creeping into his cave, something that never before kept him awake, now seems to beckon him, making it nearly impossible to sleep. He looks at the wall, where his clumsy attempts at paintings lay, and imagines a full wall mural portraying his meeting with Sol. It would make for a nice story once he turns Kylo, he thinks. 

With this idea in his mind he finally falls asleep. 

Just like he had thought, most of the young people on the tribe believe him when he tells them about the tiger and the god. Even Poe, who despite being a childhood friend is always skeptic and sarcastic with him, seems to believe him. Poe also helps him tan the hide and together they salvage most of it so it looks like a grown tiger and not a cub as Ren was afraid it would do. At night they go hunting with Poe's party and always come back to the village full of small prey and, on the second day after Ren's return, they catch a stag. 

Thing are slowly and surely going back to tracks. Ren falls back into his place among his people and the elders keep debating about his new trial, hunting is going well and Ren is finishing his plans for the mural when a strange creature stumbles out of the woods near his cave. 

It comes through the trees making hideous sounds – half cackling, half sobbing, the wailing of a demon would be more pleasant. The creature is covered in vines and leaves, small purple flowers woven into the odd tapestry. It smells like rotten fruit and freshly cut plants, an underlying scent of blood and sweat making the whole essence a little macabre. Ren is on his feet, spear in hand and ready to attack in a heartbeat. Yet, something holds him back. 

The creature finally collapses on its own, long and pale limbs sprawling around it like a clumsy star. It makes small, painful noises now and shakes as if possessed by an evil spirit. Ren approaches it carefully, spear still tightly held in his hands. As he gets closer and closer he recognizes the form of a man under the net of vines and branches, the skin is pale but covered in rashes and cuts, and he seems to be completely nude aside from the plants wrapped around him. 

The man turns around on the ground and finally Ren sees his face. The orange hair is matted and stiff with mud and gods know what else, but it is still easy enough to recognize it. There is a delirious expression on the familiar face and Ren's heart clenches when he sees Sol's cheeks covered in a feverish blush once again, his eyes unfocused and opaque, thick yellowish drool dripping down his chin. Sol has both hands clenching something against his chest and when Ren picks him up he sees the tiger's tooth and a handful of hallucinogenic berries inside closed fists. _Oh stupid god_ , he thinks, rushing to Snoke's cave with the seizing deity held tightly on his arms. 

It takes him three days to nurse Sol back to consciousness, and during this period he had received special permission to postpone any other duties and obligations. He spends the days collecting herbs and roots and preparing the delicate potions that would exorcise Sol of the toxins and fill him with energy once more. At night he stays by the god's side, rubbing balms on his damaged skin and feeding him water and broth from time to time. When Sol opens his eyes, clear and green for the first time in days, Ren is the first thing he sees. 

"I shouldn't have let you go," is the first thing he says. 

Sol stares at him for a long while and, much to Ren's surprise, he starts crying. He sits up abruptly and holds Ren in a tight embrace as he cries and sobs painfully. Ren places soothing hands on his back, tenderly stroking the once again clean orange hair. "Were you punished again?" Ren asks softly. 

The god tenses in Ren's arms and nods shortly. "I should have never left them," Sol says between sobs. "There was nothing to come back to when I arrived. I thought I was going to die for good." 

Ren soothes him and after a long while the crying and sobbing subside, leaving Sol tired and sad on Ren's arms. The warrior lays him down carefully and offers the gourd full of fresh water, which he accepts and drinks voraciously. When he finishes drinking, Sol places the gourd back on the ground and looks around him for the first time. They are in Ren's cave, there is a small fire nearby and moonlight coming through the entrance, paintings Sol can't identify cover the walls and his body is cushioned by a tall and comfortable pile of furs and feathers. 

"How did you find me?" Sol asks after a moment. 

"I didn't," Ren replies with a small smile, "you did." Sol's eyebrow rises in confusion. "Three days ago you stumbled out of the woods right in front of me, you were poisoned by hallucinogenic berries, starved and dehydrated. Thankfully I was able to heal you." 

Sol remains silent for a moment more, tiny tears clinging to his pale eyelashes. "You saved me again?" Ren nods quickly, a smile on his face. 

"It is my destiny to be by your side when you need, Sol," he says almost smugly. 

"Didn't I ask you to call me by my name?" 

"Oh, right, _Hux,_ " Ren uses the god's mortal name like it is a forbidden treat – sweet but dangerous. If he allows himself to see the god as a man, he may lose sight of his rightful place and there is no way for this to end well for him. 

Hux, on the other hand, smiles as he calls him by that name. A small smile, tired and charged with so many things Ren can't read it at all. But it is a smile after all and the warrior has a deep feeling that the god is in dire need of smiles after these traumatic few days. 

"Are we on your tribe?" Hux asks, pointing at the entrance of the cave. Ren nods in affirmation. "I thought you said you are used to hunt by night?" 

"Yes, it is our habit but I was given permission to stay in and look after you," Ren tells him with undisguised pride. "It was difficult to convince Snoke but he gave in in the end, which is good because otherwise I wouldn't be here for you when you woke up." 

Ren seems genuinely happy with himself and Hux can't help but feel thankful and glad. He had little hope of finding the man again but he did and it was a feat on itself. Hux believes in gods but his tribe's faith is a lot more impersonal than Ren's, so he doesn't like the idea of the heavens interfering directly in his life. However, right now, looking into dark eyes so full of adoration and hope, he is forced to take this concept in consideration. What if the gods have an interest in the development of his relationship with Ren? 

"I will always be thankful, Ren," he says after a long moment of contemplative silence. He is well aware of the fact that he doesn't have anywhere left to go, and that his survival depends on this man and his tribe. If they accept him, he will be saved. If they don't, there is little hope for him. Hux may not be completely convinced that the gods are interested in his personal life, but he prays as he bows in front of Ren and touches his forehead to the ground between them. 

He prays that they will accept him and that Ren will take him for what he is: a man, and not a god. Maybe if his father were still alive Hux would be tempted to go on with this unplanned ruse, to pretend to be this Sol god and take advantage of these people until it got boring. But as his tears fall to the earth he sees no point in being dishonest. Phasma had told him the East folk had attacked because of the deal his father had offered them. She didn't have time to go into details, but knowing his father, he had probably tried to fool the other tribe – and this was his ultimate downfall. 

Hux prays and vows to change, to be better and to stop being ungrateful. To be different from his father in all aspects. He feels big and calloused hands softly pull him up and cradle him. Ren is murmuring against his skin, a soft chant that is soothing and uplifting at once. Hux starts to feel comfortable and safe despite the uncertainty of his future. 

"I found the tiger's tooth," Hux blurts all of a sudden. "But I believe I've lost it." 

Ren shakes his head gently. "You didn't, it was in your hands when you arrived So – Hux. It was actually hard to pry it from your clutch," he laughs a little and Hux feels warmth rising to his cheeks. 

"Oh, that's good," Hux says in a low, almost timid voice. 

"It is indeed," Ren agrees, "it helped me prove your identity to the Kylo and the elders. That's why they allowed me to stay here with you at all times." Hux smiles at this and Ren answers with a grin of his own. "Unfortunately, it seems you have lost one of your own teeth in your way here." 

Hux's eyes go wide and he runs his tongue across his teeth, surely enough one of the top ones is missing. It probably isn't visible but now that he is paying attention he feels the odd empty space on his mouth. He covers his face with his hand, unable to look at Ren who is still smiling. 

"Maybe I shouldn't have told you," the dark haired man says softly. "You look much better smiling. Even without a tooth." 

Hux doesn't lower his hands, but he smiles behind closed fingers and believes, maybe foolishly, that everything might turn out well. 


	4. Vows to Wistful Men

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Known as the chapter where we learn a little more about Snoke and Sol, and Hux makes a little desperate gamble that kinda backfires.

Being raised as the son of the chieftain made Hux familiar with politics and negotiations from an early age. He considers himself a tough negotiator, being witty and having mastered the blank face in his forming years. Even his father, who was reluctant in seeing anything worthy on him, admitted his superior skills on this art. 

Hux had never seen someone as tough as Ren and Snoke when it comes to negotiating the terms of his stay in their tribe. 

The night he wakes up, Ren and he stay in Ren's cave. Hux eats and drinks and cries until he sleeps on Ren's pile of furs and hides and Ren looks after him in his sleep until the small hours of morning when he too falls asleep. They wake up again when the sun is high on the sky, a moment most of the people is asleep, but that would find Snoke awake and probably alone. Ren wraps the tiger hide on Hux's shoulders before going to meet the Kylo. 

Snoke's cave is the located on the far west of the complex of grottos and rock shelters inhabited by their numerous tribe. They pass by few people as they go, most of them nod politely but stay resolutely out of their way. Hux can't tell if they do so out of respect or fright. 

They arrive to the mouth of the cave and Hux is impressed by it. Lots of people in his own clan had taken to build tents with hides and large leaves and vines, the region he used to inhabit lacking on bigger and more appropriate for living caves. Snoke's lair is deep inside the mountain, the polished lip of the cave, decorated with a flower bed full of sunflowers, a clear show of his high position within his society. The rock inside is pale, streaked with reddish tones and covered in paintings. 

Ren bows before entering the place and Hux does as well, unwilling to commit a fluke in such delicate situation. 

As they delve deeper into the cave the sunlight starts to fade and is replaced by the orange glow of a fire set in the center of the open space. There are more paintings there, a raised rock serving as support for various bowls and gourds full of water and pigments as well as some rudimentary painting tools. Beside the paints there is a collection of spears and other weapons, all decorated with patterns on their handles and strings of feathers and beads. Snoke is sitting on a thick fur in front of the fire, drinking from a hollow bamboo. 

When Ren and Hux get close enough, Snoke looks up at them with raised eyebrows. He watches as Ren sits down in front of him, Hux doing the same after a moment hesitation. Suddenly the redhead feels overwhelmed - by the leader's presence, by the paintings on the walls, by his own uncertain future. 

Silence stretches over them, thick and heavy like molasses. Snoke's eyes are hidden by shadows but Hux feels them over himself, every part of his body being measured and evaluated - he has no idea if this wise old man would share Ren's fantasy about his identity. It suddenly seems like a very dangerous gamble and Hux itches to tell him the truth but Ren had been insistent about him not speaking before Snoke. The intense scrutiny lasts as long as Hux has the nerves to withstand it, just as he is about to break the old leader speaks. 

"It is true then," he says, mostly to himself. "Sol walks among men once again, but this time as one of us. You are certainly lacking your divine glow," there is melancholy on his voice. 

"I am sorry Supreme Leader," Hux says quietly, using the term taught by Ren, "but I'm not who you think I am." 

Snoke and Ren exchange a meaningful glance and the Kylo shakes his head lightly. He stands up and picks one long piece of wood from the fire between them, "Come with me," he says, and uses the glowing end to light the way as he guides the younger men to a small cave connected to the main one by a corridor full of stalactites. 

Hux stays close to Ren, not quite touching him but close enough to feel his warmth and presence. Snoke waits for them at the end of the corridor, the flickering light of the fire making the scar on his face deeper and more gnarled. His hands are long, the knuckles twisted by a lifetime of fighting and hunting, but they are steady and strong as he points the mural painted on the furthest wall. 

An opening at the top of the cave allows sunlight to filter in, the pale beam sparkling with dust particles. It falls over the portrait of a man, right at the center of the wall. 

Hux feels his throat constrict at the sight - there are numerous layers of smudged brown under the shiny orange paint of the hair, high cheekbones are painted in pale chalk, the form of the man wrapped in darkness. The coal black cloak is full of glowing dots made of what Hux recognizes as the liquid on a firefly's back. The image had clearly been remade time and time again, some of the lines losing their sharpness, but the subject is still unmistakably him. 

Ren is surprised as well, as if it was the first time he'd seen the mural. Snoke watches them as they take the image in. 

"I must admit when Ren told me of your meeting I was hoping for him to be mistaken, but now that I see you I cannot deny your identity," Snoke says, avoiding looking at Hux for the first time. "You haven't aged one day since I saw you, Sol," he adds almost sadly. 

"Have you met him before, Supreme Leader?" Ren asks, eyes wide. 

"When I was about your age," Snoke tells, "one night I decided to go hunting alone and I found him. He was lost and I guided him back to the heavens," a small smile plays on his lips as he reminisces that night. "When I arrived on the tribe I was acclaimed as Kylo, Sol had left a token as a parting gift and the elders decided that was the last sign needed to take this decision." 

"You've never told me this before, father," says Ren, amazement on his voice. "What did he leave you?" 

"I was going to tell you this the night I made you Kylo, son, but the situation has definitely changed a lot. There is no better time to show you this sanctuary and tell you this story than now," he motions around, and both Ren and Hux see the mural extending over the walls, Snoke's tale illustrated over the rock. "As for his parting gift, he made the sunflowers on the entryway of my home. When I left at sunset the earth was bare and dry, when I came back it was full of yellow buds." 

"Did you ever see him again?" Hux can't help but ask, the green eyes of the image on the wall staring deeply into his own. Snoke smiles as if the redhead was amusing in a melancholic way. 

"Not until three days ago," Snoke replies. 

"Now that you've seen him and talked to him," Ren pleads,"will you let him stay?" 

Snoke sighs deeply and sorrowfully, "You know he can't stay." 

"What?!" Hux cuts in, panic clogging his throat. "What do you mean?" 

"You are the Sun," Snoke replies calmly, "you belong on the sky. I genuinely don't know how the other gods are dealing with your absence but surely in a short while they will have problems pushing the Sun across the sky. You are needed there and we can't hold you down here." 

"But father! He and I are bounded by fate, you can't expel him now," Ren tries to reason. 

"Sir, I am not your god!" Hux exclaims, borderline hysteric. "I am Hux, son of Brendol from the Northern tribe and I am in dire need of your help!" 

Snoke looks less than impressed. "I understand you have done something terrible to your fellow gods for them to punish you like this, but I won't acknowledge you as anything other than what you are: Sol, the God of the Sun, the one who brings time and light and change." 

"Then by my godly powers I demand you to take me in," Hux deadpans and this time Ren snorts an aborted laugh. 

"You cannot make demands like this Sol," Snoke chastises him. "You may be a god but you've been made human and I can deny you." 

"But please don't deny me," Ren asks softly, hands raised in a pleading stance. "Sol gave you the right to be Kylo, let him bestow the same gift upon me. I swear to fulfill all my duties exemplary while looking after him. Let him judge me and when he is free from his mortal shell he will give us the sign you and the elders need to make me Supreme Leader." 

Hux is about to complain, to say once again he isn't Sol and that he needs them to accept him into their clan forever and not as a trial for Ren. He doesn't open his mouth though, the pensive expression on Snoke's face enough to calm him down. It is the first time he seems willing to consider their claim. Ren's breath is fast and shallow, as if he had given a final ultimatum - on some ways, he had. 

After what feels like eternity Snoke speaks again. 

"You will be responsible for him on every aspect and moment of his stay," Snoke declares. "His health and wellbeing as well as the fulfillment of the task that will take him back to heavens are your responsibility." 

Ren seems to glow with excitement while Hux can barely suppress his shaky exhale. The terms might not be exactly the ones he desired but at least he had been accepted. He could work from there, prove his identity and be taken into their tribe as a mortal man at last. 

"Thank you my Kylo," Ren says with a large smile. "Thank you father, you will see this was a great decision!" 

Ren bows deeply, his large nose almost touching his knees. Hux kneels by his side and touches his forehead to the ground like he had done to Ren before. 

"Thank you Kylo, your wisdom and generosity will be rewarded," Hux says, voice thick with relief. 

"While living with us you'll be treated as one of us. You are expected to take part in our daily activities, hunting and sowing our fields, and protecting our family." 

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Hux replies looking up with fierce eyes. 

"You may go now," Snoke says with a flick of his wrist. "Tonight you hunt with Poe and he is going for something big, you'll need the rest." 

Without further words Ren and Hux bow in respect once more and retreat to the main cave, leaving Snoke alone in front of the painting. He turns to look at the mural, a longing look on his face that goes unnoticed by the younger men. 

On their way back to Ren's place they don't speak, both too relieved and excited to make conversation. It is only when they are inside the cave and sitting in front of the small fire that Hux realizes he is starving. 

"I know we should rest to accompany the hunting party at night but, do you think we could eat something now?" 

Ren springs up to his feet, a guilty expression on his face. "Oh, yes, sure. I was so nervous I have forgotten," he apologizes and motions at a clay pot leaning against the wall. "There are some nuts there, you could open them while I go take broth and meat." 

Hux stands up quickly and goes for the pot. "Sure, I'll do it right away." 

When Ren comes back Hux has a neat pile of nutshells in front of him, the nuts resting on a small bowl by his side. They eat in silence for a moment, that odd intimacy created at the creek back as if they had never been apart. Hux feels full quickly and it reminds him of how many days he had gone without a proper meal. He sets his bowl aside and keeps watching the fire as Ren eats. 

"I'm glad Snoke allowed you to stay, even if just for a while," Ren says as he tears a piece of meat apart with his hands. 

Hux sighs. "I'm afraid I'll stay forever," he says in a mix of humor and bitterness. Ren looks at him clearly confused. "Ren, I'll never go to the heavens because I am not your god! Why is it so difficult for you to understand?" 

"You saw the mural," Ren says, reasonably, "it was draw a long time ago and you look exactly the same. I think your memory is blurred." 

Hux watches him eating for some more time. The portrait on Snoke's cave is remarkably similar to him but he knows he has a common face among his people. Maybe someone from his tribe had strayed from their lands before and ended up here, mistaken by this blasted Sol god just like him. He voices this theory to Ren but the other man laughs at him. 

"Snoke guided Sol back to the heavens that night, he wasn't a man," he reasons. "Also, how do you explain the sunflowers?" 

Hux remains resentfully quiet. How could he prove his identity? Ren wouldn't believe any story or reasoning, and since he thought Hux was punished with a mortal body, there was nothing he could do to prove his ungodly nature. Usually gods have amazing powers, don't fall sick or bleed, but with a human body these things would be impossible anyway. 

"How do your gods treat your people?" He asks at last. 

"We honor them and they protect us," Ren says simply. "Sometimes they send us signs and messages to help and guide the people. They bring abundance and keep plagues away." 

"Yeah but, how do they treat them in a personal level?" 

Ren looks puzzled for a second. "I don't understand..." 

"Do they show up to you?" 

"I feel silly explaining it to you, Sol," he rubs his neck coyly and Hux glares at him. "I mean, Hux. You know all of this better than anyone." 

"Humor me." 

Ren considers the request for a moment. "They show in dreams and visions, send messages to Rey, the oracle, and the elders interpret them. But they don't show up personally," he looks up at the rudimentar paintings on his walls. "They are gods, they are way above men and don't like to meddle with us. It is belo-" 

The ending of his sentence is cut of by a hungry kiss. Hux is on his personal space so fast Ren knows if it wasn't for the wall behind him he would have fallen. Pale lips try to devour his as Hux grabs his braids and pulls on them, forcing the angle and deepening the kiss. Cold skin presses against Ren's warm body sending shivers down his spine. 

The kiss grows, frantic and full of some meaning Ren doesn't understand. When Hux finally pulls away his face is as red as his hair, his pale eyebrows almost disappearing. His lips are swollen and shiny and he has a smug expression on his face. 

"Is this something a god would do?" He demands, licking his lips and tilting his whole body closer to Ren's. The warrior feels a half hard erection rubbing against his stomach and shivers in apprehension and desire. He swallows hard before answering. 

"A - among all the gods there is one who loves men enough to come to earth and interact with them," he says and Hux's victorious expression quickly begins to fade. "He even takes mortal men as companions and lovers every once in a while. But certainly you remember this habit of yours, don't you, Sol?" 

Hux groans as if he had been hurt and leaps out of Ren's lap so fast it looks like the taller man was burning him alive. He kicks the clay pot and spills nuts all over the place, some even falling on the fire. Ren watches, flabbergasted, as the redhead storms out of the cave cursing and swearing. He stays in silent shock for a long moment, the pop of a nut breaking on the fire breaking him from his reverie. 

He picks the nuts and takes the used bowls to the outside of the cave where he would remember to wash and return them later. By the time he finishes these small tasks his own erection had softened and he feels mostly confused and scared - what if Hux never returns? What if he never ascends to his rightful title because of his failure on another trial? Just as he is starting to worry about it Hux comes back, decidedly avoiding his eyes. 

"I have nowhere to go," he says in lieu of an apology or greeting. His face is pink but this time it is in clear embarrassment. Ren quickly forgets all worry and frustration. 

"Come in Hux," he says with a tired smile. "You still need some rest if you intend on being useful tonight." 

Hux seems to puff his chest, aggravated by the tease. He enters the cave and goes straight to the pile of furs, burrowing into it like a small child. Ren can't help the endearment that overtakes him. _Such a funny god_ , he finds himself actually happy to be fate bounded to him after all. 

"You know you need to share the bed with me, right?" He asks in a teasing voice. Hux groans and moves a little bit to the side. As soon as Ren lays down on the pile of furs he feels cold feet touching his calves. Hux doesn't give any acknowledgement to this, or to Ren's presence as a whole, but when the warrior moves closer he undeniably feels the pleased sigh that leaves the redhead's chest. 


	5. Wistful Gods and Fallen Men

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Feels Chapter (tm)

Despite being considered an excellent hunter by his people, Hux simply can't keep up with Ren, Poe and the rest of their hunting party. The reason, actually, is quite simple: Hux isn't used to hunt at night at all. Being used to daily activities, his vision is keen but his other senses aren't as sharp and when a cloud covers the moon, cutting whatever little light they have, Hux is good as dead to the other hunters. Not to mention he easily gets sleepy, not tired per se, but sleepy because back at home he would be on his tent ready to bed not long after sunset. 

His deal with Snoke included taking part on the tribal activities as an equal but it doesn't matter how much he wants it, he simply isn't fit for their style of hunting. 

After a few days he doesn't get sleepy as easily anymore but that improves his humor by just a tiny bit. He has fitful days of sleep, usually staying awake by Ren's side on the furs or simply giving in and waiting outside until sunset brings the taller man from his sleep. He takes to sleep in the early morning while Ren is still up in long conferences with Snoke and the elders or doing his soon-to-be Kylo rituals. 

A few days after his arrival Hux gathers some old pelts and furs and creates a small pile for himself, across from Ren's on the dark haired man's cave. Most days they sleep on their separate beds but Ren slipping into Hux's furs in the middle of the morning is anything but rare. Or unwelcomed. 

It is mid afternoon, about a month after Hux's arrival, and he is sitting in front of Ren's cave weaving dry straw into a thick rope when someone stops before him. He looks up with curiosity on his eyes, unused to see people roaming around under broad daylight. And more than used to having them avoid him because they don't want to bother or upset the god. The woman in front of him has a small but pretty face, tiny freckles and hair of a soft brown color instead of the pitch black almost everyone on the tribe has. She wears her hair into three loose buns contrary to the elaborate braids and coils that seem to be traditional. 

"Hello," she greets with a smile. "I'm glad I finally got to meet you, Hux," she extends a hand and he presses his fist against her palm like he had seen Ren do to Poe and the other hunters. 

"Hello," he says cautiously as she sits by his side. She tilts her face up, allowing the sunlight to warm her skin. "Who are you?" 

"Oh, I'm Rey." 

"The oracle?" He asks, tiredness setting over as he imagines the stupid god-related questions she would probably make him. 

"Yes, oracle and future Jedi of the tribe," she tells him, turning around to look him on the face. Silence stretches for a long moment until she finally laughs, a quiet sound full of joy but also a bit petulant. "I see the similarities now, it is understandable that Ren and Snoke believe you to be Sol." 

Hux stares at her dumbfounded. "You - you don't believe I'm Sol?" He asks, almost shocked, causing her to laugh again. 

"It's not about belief," she says, "I know you are not." 

A flood of relief crashes over him. At least one person is in possession of common sense here! He scoots closer to her. "How do you know it? I've said it time and time again and nobody believes me!" 

"You can't blame them, they are blinded by what their eyes see. You really look a lot like Sol, but just in appearance - your spirit is quite different," she says, folding her legs and resting her chin over her knees. "As the oracle I can see the spirits and receive messages from the gods. I think I'd know if Sol was sent down to earth." 

Hux kneels by her side and takes her hands in his. "Please, you have to help me!" He pleads, trying his best to sound not as desperate as he feels. "They don't listen to me but maybe they will pay attention to you." 

She shakes her head and frowns a bit. "I'm sorry, I can't help you. I may be the oracle but the Jedi has the last word on all spiritual matters and Master Luke believes you to be Sol too," she sounds apologetic and delicately pulls her hands away from his, folding them on her lap. 

"Who is Luke? Why can't he see the truth if you can?" Hux asks in quick succession. Rey bites her lip before answering. 

"Master Luke is the Jedi, the spiritual counterpart of the Kylo," she explains and Hux nods in understanding, briefly wondering why he had never seen this man. "A long time ago he decided to live up in the mountain to deepen his knowledge and bound to the spiritual world, he hasn't set foot on the tribe for gods know how long. He doesn't see the truth because he is so deeply attuned to the spirits he has lost some of his... human skills," she says, carefully choosing her words. "His only source of information about the village is Snoke, and sometimes Ren, and both of them told him about you. Luke felt Sol nearby and when they spoke of you Master was convinced you were actually the god." 

Hux stays quiet for a long while, digesting this new piece of information. All his life he had believed the Southerners were rude and primitive but the longer he stays with them the more he realizes their society is complex and even refined.  

"Your Master feels Sol nearby?" Hux asks after some consideration. 

"Yes, and so do I," she confirms. "He is never too far but lately he has been very close. Ren believes you to be Sol, so he's been constantly thinking of him these last days, it might have picked Sol's curiosity." Rey keeps looking at him for a moment but eventually goes back to facing the sun. 

"You are used to be awake during the day," he says after a long while. She smiles. 

"It is because I'm the oracle," she replies and he looks puzzled. Rey smiles before speaking again. "The spirits roam the earth during the day, they worship Sol and take energy from the sunlight in exchange. Most times the spirits take the form of beasts and animals and that's why we only hunt at night - without the Sun the spirits retreat to the spiritual world and we don't hunt or hurt them by mistake." 

"Ren had never told me this," Hux murmurs, mostly to himself. 

"Have you asked him?" Queries Rey and Hux shakes his head in a shy negative. She laughs. "Ren believes you to be Sol, he thinks you know everything about our society and lifestyle so he won't tell anything unless you ask. He said your memory is blurred, so you should take advantage of this and try and learn as much as you can." 

"That is very sound advice," he says turning the straw rope between his fingers. "Rey?" 

"Yes?" 

"Aren't you angry at me?" 

She looks taken aback by his question. "Why would I be?" 

"I am a foreigner and your people are treating me as if I was your god," he doesn't meet her eyes as he speaks. "They don't even listen to you because of this. It must be frustrating." 

She touches his shoulder gently. "I'm not angry at all, don't worry. Also, if I was to be, it wouldn't be with you but with Snoke and Master Luke. And maybe with Ren for having such a thick head." 

They share a small laugh. "Thank you, Rey. It is good to talk to someone who doesn't think I am Sol," she grins and squeezes his shoulder before dropping her hand away. "I really need to find a way to prove my identity and convince Snoke to accept me here as a man." 

"I know you'll find a way," she reassures him. 

"Proving my identity is only one of my problems now, actually," he confides. "I am not used to this nocturnal lifestyle and I have been a nuisance to the hunting party. I am afraid they will kick me out when they find my humanity." 

"Oh, yes the hunting problem," Rey says with a weak slap to her own forehead. "One of the reasons for me to come actually. Poe and Finn told me about your difficulty and I felt bad about it so I prepared you this," she says pulling a small bag of cloth from the sash around her waist and giving it to Hux. "It is a mix of herbs and roots that enhance the senses. When used together with other substances it can induce delirium and trances, we sometimes use to talk to the gods," she explains as he peeks inside the little bag. "But I prepared a weak mix, it is perfectly safe but will help you to see and hear better, as well as make your skin more sensitive. Just mix a pinch of it in milk and drink before leaving for the night and it will help you." 

He can't help but to hug her, the bag held tightly on his hand. "Thank you! Thank you very very much," he says before bowing to her. She laughs and forces him up again - she is surprisingly strong. "I will repay you, be sure of it." 

"Don't worry," she says calmly. "I know none of this is your fault." 

He smiles at her. "May I ask you why you're helping me so much? I mean nothing to you." 

"That may be true," she agrees, "but Ben has been happier with you here than I can remember him being." 

"Ben?" 

She grins. "When we were kids I couldn't say Ren's name correctly, so I was always calling him Ben. It stuck for a long while but when he received the nomination for next Kylo people stopped calling him by the nickname." 

"I can hardly imagine Ren as a kid," he says humorously. 

"Exactly the same as today but maybe a foot shorter," Rey says between small laughs. "I must get going, Master Luke sent me here to get supplies and I still have to do it," she stands up and shakes dust from her clothes before offering him her closed fist. Hux touches it with his palm and smiles at her. "May the Force be with you," she says, the traditional farewell of the tribe. 

"May the Force be with you," he replies and she leaves, a light bounce to her steps. 

When Ren wakes up Hux has a considerable length of rope weaved. After Rey's explanation about the spirits he understands why Ren doesn't allow him to go hunting alone during the day. Or his hesitation on setting traps back on the creek when they first met. He stores the rope inside the cave and go with Ren to the central fire where the hunters were gathering for the night. 

They eat nuts and berries, and have the last of the thick broth before setting off to the hunt. Before leaving, though, Hux spares a moment to take some of the milk and mix it with the herbs given by Rey. The milk curdles in a second but the smell is sweet and pleasant instead of nauseating. He drinks the concoction in one go and the effect is almost immediate. His fingertips tingle and his ears feel warm, the wind suddenly a loud noise despite being just a breeze. The sunset, an uniform wash of orange over the sky but a minute before, now seems to be made of countless colors, yellow and orange mixing with pink and red. The first hunters are already gone when he finally reigns in his senses and starts following them. 

Just as always, Poe and Ren go in front of the party. Hux had had a few opportunities to talk to Poe and learned that the man has a sharp sense of humor but is well meaning and truly devoted to his tribe and his role within their society. Poe is also the second in line for Kylo, should Ren be unsuccessful on his trials or die before naming an heir. Poe's mate, Finn, usually stays by Hux's side during the hunts and the redhead tries his best not to be annoyed by it. Finn is a nice person but naïve and overprotective and Hux is tired of feeling useless or incapable. 

Hux begins the night on the middle of the line, Finn a few steps away from him. They usually take this position because it is safer. That night, though, even before Ren or Poe find the tracks of their intended prey, Hux feels the soft thrum of a beast walking not too far on their left, uncertain if that was true or just an impression, he stays silent. It doesn't take long for Poe to make a sign for them to stop and go with Ren check on a possible prey. They come back a few moments later, having spotted a big deer just in the place Hux had felt before. Rey's medicine is truly helping, Hux thinks. 

They separate into small groups, intending on surrounding and scaring the deer. The moon is half full but Hux sees perfectly on the pale light, the aid of his other senses only enhancing his sharpness. When they finally take positions around the animal a loud cracking noise makes it stand at attention. The hunters try to look around for the source of the noise but no one seems to be responsible for it. They remain quiet, still, hoping that the deer would calm down so they could still bring meat home that night. 

The noise comes again and this time the deer dashes from its spot, little hooves making sharp noises at the rocky ground. Some of the hunters throw their spears in a futile attempt to hit the animal, some of them attempt a pursuit but the deer is too fast. Hux is among the latter. 

As soon as the deer digs his hind legs into the ground to start running, Hux is already in motion. His reflexes a lot faster thanks to his enhanced senses. He gets close to the animal but not enough to touch it and the confusion of spears and hunters around the prey almost makes him lose speed, but he insists. His feet barely touch the dry dirt, cold night air soothes the burning in his lungs as he runs and runs, the deer a bouncy black form in the distance. Hux usually isn't one to spend energy on useless pursuits but at that moment he is one hundred percent sure he is able to catch the deer. 

And so he keeps running. 

The shouts and sounds from the hunters die in the distance, the ground goes from a dry plateau to a soft hill of grass and low bushes. The deer keeps its distance, always out of Hux's reach but never away from his sight. The redhead grits his teeth, the gentle slope making the run harder for him, his throat dry and raw with effort. When he is halfway up the hill the deer disappears behind the apex. In a last bout of energy he reaches the top of the hill only to find it empty. 

He searches around but there is no sign of the deer. No hoof prints, no trails on the soft grass, no broken branches or flower stems across the entire hill. Hux's breath is coming in hard puffs, his tongue uselessly trying to moisten his lips. He can't avoid bending over, hands on knees as he gasps and tries to bring his breathing back to a normal rhythm. When the ache on his side subsides he straightens and looks at the sky in front of him. 

Back at home he would sometimes watch the night sky, looking for shapes and stories among the stars. Now he has spent so long under the starry heavens but he had paid so little attention to it, always worried about the hunt or trying not to get on the way of the other hunters. It feels like the first time in ages he sees the deep darkness full of shine. 

It takes him a long while but he notices a strange patch of stars right in front of him, at the edge of the hill. He doesn't recognize any of the constellations there and he has the distinct impression the stars are shifting slightly as if rocking on an axis. After a moment of careful observation he sees the contour of a human shape standing there, its form cloaked by the darkness and stars. Slowly the form turns, revealing a halo of bright orange hair around an intimately familiar pale face. 

"Sol...?" 

The god smiles and turns completely at him. "Hello, Hux," despite their identical appearance, Sol's voice is completely different from Hux's. Deeper, older, showing an ageless existence his looks don't betray. "How are you doing?" 

"How – how am I doing?" Hux echoes in disbelief. "I am lost in more ways than I can possibly think..." 

"That is something we have in common," Sol says in a light tone. "I mean, apart from our face." 

"You are lost?" Hux asks, eyebrows twisted in confusion and frustration. "I was hoping you would be able to help me." 

"I am, and I might be," Sol replies with a small smile. "I am glad you were the one to follow my bait." 

"Your bait?" 

"The deer," Sol clarifies. "I didn't think so many people would try following it, I was forced to bring it further than originally intended. That's why I am lost actually." 

"Why did you do this?" 

"Well, to meet you of course!" Sol comes closer, his eyes shining like a pair of green stars. At this distance Hux can see that even his freckles have a faint shimmer. "Don't worry, you'll have the deer once you help me find my way back." 

"What if I bring you to the tribe and you explain to them I am not you?" Hux deadpans and Sol stares at him for a long while before laughing. 

"I'm afraid that would be impossible, as I said, we have come too far and if I don't find my way back to the heavens quickly the night will not end." 

"So if you're not here to help me, why did you bother coming to meet me?" 

"I said I might help you, I have full intention to do so actually," Sol says defensively. "You have been cursing me in your thoughts for days and it is hurtful so I thought I should come and have some real talk with you." 

Hux groans. "You would help a lot by going to Snoke and telling the truth!" 

Sol's shiny glare falls to the ground, "I can't talk to him." 

"Then talk to Ren," reasons Hux, taking a step closer and forcing the god to look up at him. "He is the one who came up with this madness." 

"Look Hux, I know you are upset and wants to fix this misunderstanding but we should really get going if you want to help me go back to the sky." 

"You don't want to talk to Ren?" Hux states suspiciously. 

Sol doesn't reply but the freckles on his cheeks seem to shine bright red as he turns around and starts to walk down the hill. "I will get even more lost and the world will drown in darkness if you don't help me, Hux!" 

The man just stares the blurry contours of the god going down the hill for a moment. He doesn't know if Sol's threats are real but after a long moment consideration he realizes he isn't willing to take this gamble. With a deeply resigned sigh he skips down the slope until he reaches Sol. The god smiles at him and Hux only glares in return. 

"I am sorry about what happened to your tribe," Sol says after a moment. "I cried when I saw the bloodbath, the sky was painted red with my tears and sorrow." 

"You could have helped," Hux murmurs bitterly. Sol shakes his head sorrowfully. 

"I couldn't, it is not the gods' role to interfere without being asked to. Your tribe never paid us respects, only few prayers and even less offerings, we didn't have power over you as we have over the Kylo's tribe," he explains, clearly pained. Hux feels a sliver of sympathy. 

"So you do interfere in their lives?" 

"We offer guidance and support, they do what they want," says the god. "But I must say that when your tribe was attacked I was forced to interfere under the Kylo's request." 

"Snoke asked for something?" Hux asks, eyebrow rising far up his forehead. 

"Ren did." 

"Ren is not the Kylo," Hux tells. 

"He is," Sol insists. "The Kylo is chosen by the gods and I have chosen him, Snoke knows it but he used the tiger fiasco to postpone Ren's ascension." 

Hux remains silent, remembering the days he and Ren spent af the clearing by the creek, their failed attempts at tanning the tiger hide and the broken tooth. Suddenly he realizes something. 

"Did Ren ask for something that day?" 

Sol smiles tenderly. "He asked to be by your side in your times of need. He is deeply invested in you," Sol lowers his voice, "in many ways actually. When he asked to be able to help you I felt compelled to bring you to him." 

"That's why I managed to find the tribe," Hux says and Sol nods. 

"What do you mean he is invested in me?" 

"Please Hux, no need to be coy," Sol admonishes, "you can see the way he looks at you." 

"He believes to be looking at you," Hux corrects and is surprised by the bitterness in his voice. Of course he had noticed how Ren looks at him, so full of endearment and adoration. With such glaring lust when he thinks Hux can't see him back. 

"He wasn't thinking of me when you kissed him," Sol tells him. 

"He said you take human lovers," Hux says, "and that me kissing him was proof of me being you." 

Sol laughs, the stars on his cloaking moving hypnotically. "He is truly stubborn, just like Magma." 

"Who is Magma?" Hux asks before he can think better of it. Sol's expression turn sad. 

"He is to Ren what I am to you." 

"He is a god who looks like Ren?" 

"More like Ren is a mortal who looks like him, but, yes." 

Hux remembers the drawings he had seen on Ren's and Snoke's caves, the legends and myths the hunter had told him. He doesn't remember a god named Magma and when he mentions it Sol nods solemnly. 

"Men don't know Magma," he explains. "He dwells deeply inside the earth, sleeping on the volcanoes beds and spinning in the center of the planet's life. I hardly ever see him because his presence brings destruction and I can't stand seeing the suffering of men and beasts," Sol's voice is full of longing and sadness. The shine of his hair dwindles down. 

"You are in love with him." 

"Ever since the beginning of time," Sol says. "When we were creating the world, the earth was bare and dry and we couldn't make life bloom until he came. He burned so hot and so bright that the earth changed, smoke covered the sky and when it vanished the ground was covered in fern and moss," Sol is elated by the memories and Hux is swept by his words. "Magma is the most beautiful force on the universe, so powerful he blurs the lines between creation and destruction. I created the Sun to have something to remember him by." 

"And how does he feel about you?" Hux asks quietly. 

Sol smiles beautifully. "He loves me back, and that's why he doesn't manifest so much. He knows his presence destroys our creation so he waits for me at the bottom of his home and I can look at him from afar when I walk across the sky." 

"This is a very sad love story," Hux says, "but a beautiful one too," he adds. 

Sol looks at him for a while. "I believe all love stories are a bit sad and a bit beautiful. I strive to make them more beautiful than sad, though." 

"Is Magma the reason you chose Ren as Kylo?" 

"That would be unprofessional," Sol snorts. "I choose him when he was a kid, there was no way to know he would grow to look like Magma. I'm glad he did, though. I can sometimes look at him and pretend Magma is closer to me." 

"Is this why you are helping me?" 

"Well, you said you were lost," Sol reasons and stops walking. Hux realizes they are very far from the hill. "I like to guide people, the Sun has always been used as a guide." 

"You were lost too," Hux remembers him. 

"Was I?" 

Hux stares at him, at the way his smile is so different than his own despite their identical features. Sol carries so much weight on his eyes and smiles, Hux wonders if on his old age he would look a little like this. He imagines the burden of an impossible love. He thinks of Ren. 

"What was your intention with all this talking?" 

"Put you  in the right path hopefully," Sol replies. "I know longing and desire and it hurts me to see it in your face. On Ren's face. I intended on showing you how you feel." 

"Aren't you projecting?" Hux demands and Sol grins. 

"Well, I am the Sun; this is something I do," he turns and looks at the starry night. Shouldn't the Sun be rising by now, Hux considers. "Just bear in mind that you kissed him when you could have done a number of other things, and that when he kissed you back his heart was singing your name and not mine." 

"I don't know what to do of this information," Hux tries to deflect and Sol just laughs. "Isn't it time to find your way back?" 

"Oh, I already have found it," Sol says. "I was trying to help you find yours," he points to the grassy path that lead to the tribe. "I must lave now but it was very good to see you, Hux." 

Hux turns back to see the god but only finds the deer, neck punctured by Hux's short spear, blood mostly drained. He picks the animal and follows the path back to the tribe. When he breaches the barrier of trees and bushes around the living area the Sun breaks into the horizon. Pale orange light bathes him as he arrives. 

The hunters are there already, skinning a few rabbits and plucking a handful of quails. When he places the deer in the center of the yard a few surprised and impressed sounds echo between the people present. A beam of sunlight catches the soft velvet of the deer antlers, making the animal look like a crowned king. 

Ren is far across the clearing and watches him with undisguised pride and tenderness. Hux remembers Sol's words - his heart sings your name and not mine. He dumbly notices the tiny moles on Ren's cheek display the same pattern as one of the constellations on Sol's cloak. If he could learn how to orient himself using those stars maybe he wouldn't need to be so lost after all. 


	6. Flying Close to the Sun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I am a weak person and I wanted to write something smuttier and so this chapter was born.  
> It is somewhat short and made entirely on Ren musing about Hux and then messing Hux *wiggle eyebrows*

As the future Kylo of his people, Ren is more used to being awake during the day than most of his folk. He appreciates the world under sunlight and the differences between day and night as few other do. In a general sense he does prefer to do his activities at night, under the pale silver light of the moon that lends an almost unnatural softness to everything around him. He does, however, enjoy how much more vibrant colors are during the day. 

The walls on the complex of grottos his tribe lives in look utterly featureless at night but during the day he can see streaks of brown and red across the pale color of the rock; and the foliage around their settlement have so many different shades of green Ren wouldn't be able to count them all. He is used to stay up into the late morning praying or doing tasks for Snoke, when he doesn't have anything to do that time he likes to just sit and watch the small birds with colorful feathers and the flowers that look mostly grey at night but are actually dozens of shades of purple and lilac. 

Snoke has been demanding more and more of his time after Hux's arrival but he eventually gets some free time between rituals and other routine activities. The one thing that changed, though, is the subject of his musings on those spare free moments. 

He still likes the flowers and birds but nothing compares to the beauty of Hux – specially during the day. 

The pale light of the moon erases the little freckles on his face and shoulders and turns his hair into an uniform mass of burnt yellow. Under the Sun, however, Ren sees the tiny brown spots covering the bridge of Hux's nose and dotting his slim shoulders. He notices that every single strand of his hair is a different color: yellow, gold, orange, red, bourbon, copper. And his eyes seem to sparkle with as many different greens as the forest around them when the Sun reflects upon them. 

Hux... when did he stopped thinking of him as Sol and started thinking of him as Hux? 

Oh, yeah. When Hux kissed him. 

Ren tries his best not to dwell on that memory too much. Sometimes it is easy, his mind full of other problems and situations he must deal with. Sometimes it is almost impossible. When he finds himself on his few free moments it is incredibly difficult to keep the memory at bay: the way Hux looked at him with smug confidence after the kiss, the pressure of his body against Ren's, the undeniable erection tenting his loincloth. 

But the one aspect of the whole thing that changed his way of thinking about the other man was the taste of Hux's mouth on his. He tasted absolutely _human_. It is hard for Ren to explain it even to himself but he somehow knows Sol wouldn't taste of nuts and over seasoned broth. Maybe it wasn't the taste, but something else that translated into it. A sense of desperation and longing that isn't fit for a powerful deity. Even under a mortal form Sol wouldn't taste of dry herbs and chestnuts. He would taste like a summer evening – however it tastes. 

He wishes this epiphany had come earlier. 

Snoke and Luke still believe Hux to be Sol and most of the times so does Ren. The uncertainty about his identity is deeply tied to the consuming memory of that kiss. He wonders if one day he would be so sure of it as he once was, or if he was doomed to be consumed by this conflicting concepts. Once Rey told him of people who could channel the gods and be used by them for a while – maybe Hux was one of these, literally a man and a god at the same time. That would afford Ren some peace of mind, he supposes. 

"Ren..." 

The warrior is sitting in front of his cave, the Sun warming his back as he sharpens some rocks to create new spears for him and Hux. The activity is second nature to him so he doesn't pay too much attention to what his hands are doing, stealing quick glances every so often just to make sure everything is going alright. Most of the time his gaze is wandering inside the sunlit cave. 

"Ren!" 

This time he jerks, surprised by Hux's voice so close to him. "What?" 

"I should ask _what_ ," says Hux, mixing red earth and a greasy coconut paste he had made. "You were staring, it was starting to freak me a little." 

"Sorry," Ren looks down and decides he has enough pointers for their weapons. "I didn't mean to." 

Hux puts the small gourd full of red paint down and looks at Ren. "What were you thinking about?" 

Ren considers lying to him, or dismissing his question, or doing anything. He opts to tell the truth - "I was thinking about the kiss you gave me." 

"Oh..." Hux remains silent for a long while, his red stained hands suddenly unsure what to do. He pokes the paint for a moment, and then starts to clean his fingers in a rag, and ends up twisting them together nervously. "I – I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that." 

"I liked that," Ren blurts and both of them avert their eyes in embarrassment. "I was wondering if you'd kiss me again sometime." 

"Would it change the way you think of me?" 

Ren doesn't feel like sharing his already conflicted mind with Hux now. The light is contouring the shorter man's sharp features beautifully and Ren has been feeling drained and, paradoxically, alone. Every time he laid by Hux's side he felt like the legendary man who flew too close to the Sun – warm and full of energy and life but also about to die. Touching Sol would probably mean his death. Not touching Hux is starting to feel a lot like it. "I don't know," he replies at last, as honestly as he can, "but I do want to kiss you and I feel like I'd go crazy if I'm not allowed to." 

"Ren," Hux's voice is soft and full of sincerity, "you're not _allowed_ to kiss me, you are _welcomed_ to do so." 

And just like this Ren is on him, hands on his face, legs bracketing his hips, lips pressing against lips. Hux laughs a little bit as he opens his mouth for Ren's eager intrusion. The slight stubble on Hux's chin and cheek burn Ren's smooth skin and the warrior can't help but remember the tingling burning he feels after staying too long under the Sun. 

Hux's breathing gets shallow and he grips Ren's face with hands still slick with coconut oil. They break apart only far and long enough to inhale some much needed air, and go back to kissing like the secrets of eternal life were hidden on each other's lips. Hux feels Ren's tongue running on the inseam of his bottom lip, feels the sensitive nerves there igniting in pleasure. He opens his mouth completely and Ren licks into it hungrily, feeling his tongue and palate and teeth. They laugh as Ren playfully pokes the open spot left by Hux's missing tooth. 

As they kiss they come closer and closer together. The beaded necklace around Ren's neck presses onto Hux's skin and the redhead feels the shape of the tiger claws there against the hollow of his throat. Somehow it is not close enough. Ren thinks of sacrilege but the idea is wiped from his mind by the lustful moan coming from Hux. Hux thinks of release and is more than happy when Ren starts to tug their cloaks and loincloths away. 

"I've never wanted something as much as I want you now," Ren murmurs against Hux's sunlight hair. The shorter man groans and grinds up into Ren, their erections sliding together between their quivering bellies. 

Knelt as they are Ren still holds some height over Hux but it makes the angle between their hips better. Hux's cock fits perfectly between Ren's own erection and the deep hollow of his hipbone; as Ren's is pressed against the soft ginger curls leading to Hux's crotch. Their hearts beat wildly, war drums on their chests and ears, pumping blood in heated rushes that bloom in blotchy spots on their pale skin. Ren buries his fingers on loose orange curls and uses the grip to pull Hux closer to him. 

Hux's own hands are still looking for something to do. They wander up and down Ren's muscular back, sometimes caressing, sometimes scratching. At some point they settle on his hips but soon they crawl up his chest to tease and twist Ren's tiny nipples into flushed peaks. His fingers leave faint red marks on Ren's skin but neither could care less about it. "I don't want it to end," he gasps between tiny kisses and Ren doesn't actually hear it but he feels exactly the same way. Their desperation grows, however. 

"Come with me," Ren pleads, and Hux thrusts harder against him, hips sliding and cocks rubbing wetly against one another. Hux nods furiously and finally his hands find an occupation. 

The redhead slides both hands between their bodies and he grips both their erections tightly together. Hux leans against Ren, trying to lessen the height difference between them, trying to bring their cocks closer together in his fist. It works despite the strain on his thighs and he pumps them frantically, root to head and back with a twist. Sweat and precome and oil ease the burning but he applies enough pressure to build friction, fingers drumming as he squeezes and pumps. 

Ren throws his head back, arching his body in a long line of flushed and shaking limbs. He growls, almost feral, and ribbons of white paint his stretched stomach. Hux feels him pulsing, warm and frantic, against his own cock and the unusual feeling pushes him off the edge as well. He comes over Ren's quivering form, adding lines, swirls and splatters of pale white to the mess Ren had made of himself. 

They slowly tumble onto the ground, panting and shaking and feeling goosebumps rise wherever their skin touch. The piles of furs are far away, but the ground is warm because of the sun still entering the cave and they are just too lethargic to care. Somehow they fit together in their sleep, legs and arms and hands all in the perfect place. Ren's face lightly pressed against the top of Hux's head. Hux's cheek resting on Ren's collarbone. 

When they wake up, hours later, the sun can still be seen on the sky, hanging very close to the horizon but not hidden yet. Hux is sure they have slept for a long time but, as he sees the Sun still slowly crawling down the sky, he concludes he might just have been mistaken. They share a soft, sleepy, kiss and wrap their clothes back on to get ready for the night hunting party. 

As they gather with the other hunters around the fire to eat and discuss the plans for the night, Hux sees Finn and Poe watching the sunset with confused expressions. 

"Is it me or did the Sun stop for a while there?" Finn asks his mate with a deep frown on his usually smiley face. Poe snorts as he sees Ren and Hux arriving with each other's loincloths wrapped around their waists. 

"You know what, maybe it did." 


	7. Theogony

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the·og·o·ny (thē-ŏg′ə-nē)  
> n. pl. the·og·o·nies  
>  1 - An account of the origin and genealogy of the gods.  
>  2 - A sad but beautiful love story

In the beginning there was nothing. A simple void of not existence and not life and not energy. Then, suddenly, there was a little bit of light and something solid underneath. Then there was warmth and voices that belonged to different consciousness. 

The process was slow and steady, one thing after the other in an unhurried but unstoppable motion. 

Each element began to drift together, forming big undefined shapes that were absorbed by those consciousness. The first to come to be was Lua, pale and impassive. After her came Sol, bright and passionate. The heat that wasn't trapped by him formed Fogo, tame but easy to lose control of. 

Lua and Sol liked to stay floating above the solid form, occasionally touching it and watching sparks and fire fly from the point of impact. Fogo preferred the surface of what he decided to call earth. It was solid and he liked to have something to support him as he burned. 

Above the earth Sol and Lua slowly got bored and began to wonder what other beings could exist. The space was vast and ever growing, it seemed difficult that the three of them were the only beings. Together they roamed the earth for a long time and found small pieces of consciousness on the rocks and they brought them together and created a being of light, heat and rock.  

"I am Magma," the man said, his voice rumbling and deep akin to Fogo's. His skin pale as Lua's and presence intense as Sol's. 

The oldest being didn't like the newcomer and retreated back to the space above when she found out he couldn't fly. Fogo was envious of the heat and power trapped under Magma's skin so he too left. Sol was the only one who stayed. After so long having Lua and Fogo as his only companions he was happy to have someone else. 

Together Sol and Magma walked the earth. One day Magma asked why Sol and his fellow created him and Sol told him about their attempt to find other beings. The young being cocked his head aside. 

"Why?" 

"It was lonely," Sol told him. "I wanted to know what other beings were around, what we could do together." 

"Why didn't you bring Chuva's pieces together as well?" 

"Chuva?" 

Magma nodded and waved around, vapor blooming from the heat trapped in his hand. "She lives in the humidity around, her consciousness is spread across the earth just like mine was." 

Sol was thrilled by the idea of another being and he quickly shot back into the space to ask Lua's help. The older being was asleep, only a sliver of her light visible and she didn't respond when Sol called her. Fogo also ignored his call so Sol came back to Magma with hunched shoulders and a sad expression on his face. 

"Why are you sad?" Magma asked as soon as Sol landed by his side. 

"Lua and Fogo ignored me," he explained. "I think they are upset because I've been spending a lot of time with you." 

Magma hesitated. "Don't you like spending time with me?" 

"I enjoy your company immensely," Sol replied quickly with a small but genuine smile on his face. "My peers seem to dislike you for whatever reason." 

"Who are they to tell you how to spend your time?!" Magma growled, and the thick blackness of his hair started to shift and drip in slow motion. "You are Sol and nothing binds or stops you!" More and more of his hair started to crack and fall, the dark shell melting into bright orange and yellow. Sol felt heat emanating from him and when he spoke his tongue was so hot it burned white inside his mouth. "How dare Lua ignore you? How dare Fogo ignore you?" 

Sol watched for a second, mesmerized. Magma bubbled and hissed, his hair flowing freely and melting the ground around his feet. As his fury intensified the humidity around him began to condense into wisps of vapor. The flimsy trails rose from his skin and hair, slowly gathering into little clouds. 

“Magma,” Sol called, wonder in his voice, “you are doing it!” 

The younger being stopped his wrathful tirade suddenly, the orange glow on his hair dying down a bit. Sol pointed at the cloud hovering over Magma, a small voice coming from it. The youthful and happy voice of Chuva herself. Magma smiled. 

“She is here!” 

“You were hot enough to bring her parts together,” said Sol with a bright smiles as Chuva slowly emerged from her cloud. 

The youngest of the beings was small, reaching up to Magma’s hip and around Sol's waist. Her skin was of a very soft brown and freckles appeared and vanished like water dripping and being absorbed by the earth. Her hair flowed and rolled like clouds and her smile was sweet and bright. 

“It was about time you made me,” she chided with a tiny hand on her hip. 

“I apologize, Chuva,” said Sol with a bow. “I was unaware of your presence. If I had been more attentive we’d have brought you into life sooner.” 

Chuva laughed. “You were too busy being happy with Magma to pay attention to something as thin as air like me.” 

Both Sol and Magma blushed at her comment, some of the burning glow returning to Magma’s cheeks. Sol felt his own face heat but he couldn't find any arguments to reply simply because Chuva was right. He had been too happy in Magma's presence. He didn't remember the last time he and his peers had spent time together. Lua and Fogo might not like Magma a lot but Sol believed little Chuva’s presence could bring them together at last. 

Chuva was excited to meet Lua and Fogo, as she had seen them many times before when she was still scattered around. Sol found out she could fly and reach the skies with him so he brought her to Lua first. She was hovering lazily above and her face showed curiosity when she spotted the newest addition to their group. 

"She is small," said Lua, whose impressive body towered over Sol's and Magma's alike. Chuva barely reached her hip but was not intimidated by the older and bigger being. 

"I am not small, you are too big," Chuva noted and after a beat Lua laughed. 

"I guess I am indeed," she put her hands forward and Chuva gently floated to land on them. "You are quite cute, little one. Where have you been?" 

"All around," the small girl said, pointing at all directions with a little finger. "Magma boiled the air and brought me together." 

"Magma, hun?" Lua scoffed, but Chuva seemed to have captured her cold heart nonetheless. "And what do you do?" 

"What do you mean?" 

"Well, Sol and I have light; and Fogo has heat," Lua explained. "What do you do?" 

"Oh..." Chuva exclaimed, clapping her hands. "I do this!" 

Floating higher still she started to collect the humidity around and made it fall in glistening drops. Sol and Lua stared, amazed, as it was the first time they saw water like this, into fat dollops and not scattered in the air. The drops fell to the earth down and hissed against Sol's hot skin. Lua looked at Chuva appraisingly and the youngest being hiccupped in happiness, a sharp jolt of light crossing the sky with it. 

"That was impressive, Chuva," Lua praised when the girl floated back to her arms. "Let's take you to Fogo, what do you think?" 

Chuva nodded enthusiastic and together they went down to earth searching for the third oldest being who had been watching Chuva's creation with awe. 

"Fogo, this is our newest friend, Chuva," introduced Lua as they came close enough. Fogo turned his face to the newcomers and silently pointed at the damp spot on the earth, where the first rain had just fallen upon. 

"Did she do this?" He asked, amazement crackling in his voice. 

Sol and Lua came closer and found small patches of soft green growing from the ground. Some were tall as a finger and curl with tiny leaves crowned with water droplets, but most of it was just a soft carpet over the bare earth. Chuva looked as impressed as the others, as if she wasn't aware of this capability of hers. 

"What is this?" Lua asked, mostly to Chuva but to everyone in general. 

"I don't know but I like it," Fogo said, touching the stems and watching them curl away from his heated skin. 

Chuva hopped off of Lua's grasp and started to investigate the green bits. She was amazed by their softness and how good the earth smelled after the rain. "There should be more of this," she says. 

"I believe you are the only one who can make it, dear," Lua said softly. "It was your little trick that made them grow." 

Chuva shot back into the sky, her happy laughter bringing thunder and lightning. She collected as much moisture as she could and sent it down as shimmering rain. Sol, Lua and Fogo watched as she crossed the sky, trying to cover as much area as possible. The earth grew soft under the water and slowly the fern grew in uneven patches. 

"Where is she?" Lua asked, looking up after a moment watching the growing moss. 

The three beings looked up and found the sky empty. Not a sign of Chuva or her thunderous laughter or her soothing rain. Sol and Lua floated back to the space while Fogo started to roam the area after signs of her. Their search was desperate and fruitless. 

"What happened?!" Lua was visibly shaken, her form shifting from full to thin and back. 

"She used all of herself," came a new voice. They looked back and found Magma slowly walking on their direction. The smallest wisp of vapor clinging to his heated hand. 

"Magma!" Sol exclaimed and dashed closer to his dearest companion. "What can we do to save her?" 

Magma, who seemed on the verge of an anger explosion, softened when he saw how desperate Sol was. He brushed a long strand of orange hair off the other being's face and soothed him with a caress. "She is still on the air, she just exhausted her physical form doing that trick for you." 

"Can you bring her back?" Lua asked before Sol could open his mouth. 

She stood, tall and proud despite her nervousness, as Magma studied her carefully. "I can," he said at last. "She was still too small to form herself alone," he explained, "if I bring all of her together she will be able to pour down and rebuild herself without help." 

Lua sighed in relief. "Will you do it?" 

"It will be a lot of work," he said, looking mostly at the sliver of Chuva wrapped around his wrist. "I need to reach into every corner and nook of the space to condense her parts, it will take a long time." 

"Please," Fogo asked biting his lip. 

"She can make green grow on the earth," Sol said, "imagine how beautiful it would be if everything was green and soft instead of brown and grey and barren." 

Magma considered the request. Sol looked at him hopefully and Magma couldn't find It in himself to deny him. It has always been clear to him that he would do anything for Sol, sometimes he wondered how come the other man never realized it. 

"I will do it," he announced and Lua and Fogo smiled in relief and Sol hugged him. Magma already felt his temperature rising. “But I must find a better place to do it. A tall place would be ideal." 

"I know of a place," said Fogo who was more used to roam the earth than either Sol or Lua. He led the group for a long while, until they saw the contours of a high mountain in the distance. At the foot of the slope Magma stopped and turned to look at the others. 

"It will be safer if I go alone," he explained. "I don't know how much I'll have to heat the air, I wouldn't forgive myself for hurting any of you. Neither would Chuva," he added when Sol opened his mouth to complain. 

As Magma climbed the mountain clutching the remains of Chuva, Fogo was taken to the air by Sol and Lua. Together, the three oldest beings floated over the mountain and watched as Magma took place at the highest peak before releasing the small cloud above his head. 

He took a deep breath and planted his feet wide apart and deep into the rock, the heat of his skin already melting the ground. The blackness of his hair began to dissolve, pieces of it falling to the ground and hissing against the earth. Bright orange and purplish red bloomed where black laid before, dripping down Magma's body in slow rivulets of pure heat. 

After a long moment, not only Magma's hair but his entire body was burning in uneven patches of color; skin swirling with white and yellow and dark shades of red. Sometimes a black crust formed only to be broken by powerful explosions that launched sparks across the space. The air around him hissed. 

The heat was melting the mountain itself, Magma's bright form being swallowed by the earth; only to be brought back to the surface by the volume of lava he was creating. Rivers of the molten rock flowed and impregnated the empty spaces under the shell of the Earth. Vapor and mist formed around the open mouth of the mountain, swirling in ever growing spirals. 

Sol's eyes were glassy in awe but he couldn't blink – he felt like he would die if he missed a single second of this espectacle. Magma burning, growing and shifting, taking all the space below; that was the single most beautiful thing he had ever seen. So much power in one point, power enough to shape an entire world beneath his feet. Sol's heart beat wildly in his chest. 

The cloud grew and grew over the burning mountain. Thick and fluffy sometimes; sparse and grey at others, bigger every moment, until it blocked the view. A curtain of glistening water keeping Sol, Lua and Fogo's gaze away from Magma. Only the orange glow of his burning heart still visible. 

And then it started to rain. The cloud got too heavy and the water began to fall. Fat drops that hissed and bubbled when they touched the molten floor beneath. A new dynamics began, water falling and rising continuously, mist and fog hissing in the air. The rains expanded and showered all the earth for so long it was impossible to tell. 

The smell of fresh rain rose to the air and Sol took lungfuls of it, delight and happiness growing in his chest. Magma had not only recreated Chuva, he had created an entire new world. Sol was giddy, he wanted the process to end so he could enjoy the new world by Magma's side – explore the new life forms, meet the new sights. That was the most pleasant way of spending his eternity. 

Slowly the rain stopped and the clouds shrunk to a dense point that began to take on Chuva's shape. She floated back to where Sol, Lua and Fogo were. She looked the same, youthful and adorable, but know she was almost as tall as Fogo and her shapes were a lot sharper and more defined. She smiled. 

"Lua, I believe you grew smaller!" 

Her laughter was smothered by Lua's arms, the oldest being hugging her tightly. "We thought you were gone," she cried. 

"Oh, I'm sorry," Chuva apologized. "I was careless but Magma put me back in one piece, see!" She turned around to show her new form, Lua and Fogo laughed gleefully. 

Sol watched them for a moment but as soon as he was sure Chuva was well he plummeted down to the mountain looking for Magma. Now that the mists and clouds were gone Sol could see the still fuming mountain was covered in the small, delicate fern they had seen before. Small trickles of lava run down the hillside, burning the fern but the entire expanse was green and shimmering with water droplets. 

He looked inside the molten center of the mountain. Magma's work had made the mount hollow, the interior full of swirling red and black lava. At first glance Sol couldn't see Magma inside the boiling mess of his own creation. Panic rose on his chest, breath tightening on his throat, until he saw locks of pitch black hair emerging from the depths of the first volcano. 

"Look at you," Sol cooed, reaching a hand inside the volcano to pull Magma up. "You brought Chuva back, you covered the world in green." 

Magma took Sol's hand but didn't allow him to pull him up. "You look dazzling when you smile," he said out of the blue. Sol felt his freckles glow hot in embarrassment. 

"You are dazzling," he countered bashfully and Magma smiled. "Come and look what you did." 

Magma shook his head. "I'm tired," he said and Sol noticed that he looked smaller than usual. "Let me sleep here for a while." 

"I will," Sol promised, "just look at it first. It will give you good dreams." 

Magma gave a defeated little huff of laugh and allowed Sol to pull him from the volcano. As soon as his feet touched the ground, however, lava began to pour from the volcano and melt and burn the fern and moss around. Sol lifted him into his arms, trying to salvage the delicate vegetation but to no avail, the lava just bubbled higher and more violently until Magma was put back into the volcano. 

"What happened?" Sol queried, eyebrows twisted in concern. 

"I guess I put too much of my essence on this," Magma reflected, hand dipping into the flowing lava around his waist. "I am too tired to try to separate it from myself." 

"Will you be free of it after you rest?" Sol didn't hide the concern on his voice. 

"I believe so, yes," Magma told him in a comforting tone. 

"I will leave you to rest, then," announced Sol, counter productively holding onto Magma's hand tighter still. 

"Show Chuva the world," Magma insisted but didn't release Sol's hand either. "Will you do something for me before going?" 

"Anything." 

Magma surged forward, lava bubbling around him and bringing his close to Sol. With a hand still in Sol's clutch, Magma leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to the orange haired being's lips. Sol's breath hitched and he stilled for a brief second before leaning in and kissing Magma back. The hissing and bubbling of the lava sounded like a lullaby in that moment. 

Sol slowly leaned down, placing Magma inside the volcano without breaking the kiss. He was kneeling low by the lip of the mountain when he finally let Magma go. "I love you," he said, suddenly and truthfully. 

"I love you too," replied Magma before sinking back into the liquid inferno. 

The top of the mountain cooled down and a thick black crust formed. It got covered in fern and eventually in little purple flowers. Sol climbed the mountain everyday and talked to it, knowing in his heart that Magma was listening to him. Sometimes Chuva accompanied him but he preferred to go alone. He lost count of how much time passed until the day an orange crack showed in the mountain. 

He waited patiently, hovering above the peak, barely able to contain the urge to dive down and rip the mountain apart with his bare hands. Slowly lava began to trickle and the opening got wide enough for Magma to emerge from it, as tall and strong and beautiful as Sol remembered. 

The older being dove from the skies and without word took his beloved in his arms. They kissed and held each other as if their immortal existence depended on it. Magma's body was solid and hot under Sol's hands and he delighted in having him back. 

"You slept for so long," he chastised Magma between kisses. "I was worried you had left me forever." 

"No you weren't," Magma replied with small nips to Sol's lip. "You knew I'd never leave you, not with you coming everyday to talk to me." 

"Oh, you listened!" 

"Every single word," Magma replied, finally pulling away. "And I longed to answer but I couldn't." 

"Now you can," Sol told him with a smile. "And now you can see the amazing world you helped create!" 

Sol's enthusiasm died with the pained expression on Magma's face. The black haired being looked down and Sol finally saw it: his legs were made of the molten lava, everything below his knee was as much part of the volcano as it was Magma. Under closer observation he could see that sometimes the lava creeped up Magma's thighs and hips, only to subside and rest at his knees once again. 

"I am sorry my love," Magma said, tears welling on his face. "It seems like I slept too much indeed. My body is now merged to the molten core of the planet. I am afraid I will never walk freely with you again." 

Sol couldn't find words to reply. He took Magma into his arms and hugged him tightly, tighter than ever. Magma felt the hissing of tears falling on his shoulder and for the first time in all creation someone wished they could die. 

"We can still see each other," Sol said between hiccups. "I can come to the mountain everyday, and we can watch the world from here." 

Magma smiled tenderly and pulled Sol away just enough to cup his face with tender hands. "Your words fill me with hope and happiness, but they are also incredibly unfair with you. You weren't made to be tied to a place, you are Sol and nothing binds you." 

"I do!" Sol cried, "I bind myself and I bind myself to you!" Magma hushed him with tender kisses to his quivering lips. 

"I accept your will to be by my side, and I wish nothing more than to be by yours," Magma said, still caressing Sol's face. "But staying here forever will destroy you, and it would destroy me. Also, I can't walk with you across the world you love so much because I would burn and melt everything." 

"Are you telling me to give up?" Sol's words were garbled. 

"Not at all!" Magma said quickly, pulling Sol closer to his chest once again. "I am asking for a compromise." 

"What do you mean?" 

Magma gently pushed Sol away and pressed both his hands against his broad chest. Lava dripped and the shell of his skin broke with the pressure as he sank his fingers and then his palms on his ribcage. Sol watched in agonized silence as Magma slowly pulled a bright yellow stone from within his chest. 

The open hole closed in a rush of lava and rocks, the pale skin forming over it in the blink of an eye. Magma offered the glowing stone to Sol, and when he took it the older being felt it pulse and beat gently in his hands. 

"It had always belonged to you," Magma said tenderly. "Take it with you, make my heart your companion so you won't miss me and I'll never be far from you." 

Sol cradled the delicate stone against his chest. It was smooth, perfectly round and all the shades of yellow in the universe danced inside it. Sol loved it dearly and he kissed Magma over and over and over. Tears and giggles mixed on their kisses. 

They spent a very long time there, kissing and looking at each other with stars on their eyes. Sometimes Sol would lean against Magma and be held by his strong arms. Sometimes Magma made himself small enough to fit against the curve of his neck. The yellow stone pressed between them like the precious treasure it actually was. 

Lava had reached the bottom of the mountain and streaks of red cut the plains below when they finally parted. 

"I will carry it with me everyday and I'll show the world to you through it," Sol promised laying kisses to Magma's heart. "It will be my symbol, the light that guides me and that I will use to guide everything below me." 

"I can barely wait to see it," Magma said with a lingering kiss to Sol's lips. "I will be at the bottom of every volcano you cross paths with, always looking at you as you carry my heart with you." 

Magma stayed there at the top of the mountain and watched as Sol flew back into the sky, his chest hollow but full of love nonetheless. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to be clear, Poe is Fogo's look-alike; Rey is Chuva's and Phasma was Lua's - because I am sappy like this u_u


End file.
